After 11 years of art performances in the cafeteria, Northfield High School has now broken ground on an auditorium.

The new construction includes two additions to Building One on NHS’ Paul Sandoval Campus: a performing arts wing and a student health center.

The additions were approved by the Denver Public Schools Board of Education after voters passed a 2024 bond package. While the bond allocated $15.4 million for the project, escalating construction costs are expected to increase expenses.

“We are currently working with the design and construction teams to identify the final budget,” said Heather Bock, DPS director of construction. Projected completion is fall 2027.

During the bond campaign, students canvassed the neighborhood to raise support for the auditorium. “Having the ability to realize our students’ vision means a lot,” Bock said. “When students advocate for what they want, it’s important to not just listen but to act.”

The project will require a new traffic pattern around the school, and fewer students will be able to park on campus this year since part of a student lot will house construction vehicles.

Nathaniel Bicha, who graduated in May after four years of performing in what some called the “cafetorium,” said, “We’ve been waiting for a theater for a long time. You can be your best self if you have the best place for your work.”

He compared moving into an auditorium to the momentum actors gain when they shift from practicing lines to a dress rehearsal. “When you put on the costumes, it’s like another world,” he said. “You get a lot of confidence. Getting this space will be like that.”

As a student at NHS, Bicha never quite got used to sunlight streaming through the cafeteria windows during performances or the sound of the audience’s metal chairs scraping across the concrete floor. “I did learn to project my voice,” he said, “but we’d miss our cues because it was hard to hear.”

Bicha plans to study musical theater in college. “When I’ve traveled to other schools and seen the facilities they have, they’re shocked to hear that we performed in the cafeteria,” he said.

The auditorium will include 540 seats, industry-standard lighting and sound systems, and a wide stage with plenty of room in the wings. In the current setup, audience members can see students waiting to go onstage, and the troupe uses the director’s classroom for storage and as a resting place between acts.

Director and theater teacher Hanan Al-Naqeeb shared student input with the project’s architect, HCM. She is especially excited about the orchestra pit and the hybrid fly system that will allow students to safely hoist and lower scenery.

“Our program is growing, so it’s important that we upgrade our space as we train for the future,” she said.

Last year, 14 students participated in the school’s first “arts signing day,” celebrating their decisions to pursue the arts in college. The theater program also recently earned statewide recognition, with several students, including Bicha, receiving nominations for the Bobby G Musical Theatre Awards.

Senior Brielle Pinther, another Bobby G nominee, was among the students who advocated for the theater. “We have incredible spaces for sports, and I think the arts should be represented, too,” she said.

The auditorium will host other school groups, such as band and choir, as well as community events.

Alongside the theater, the new health center will serve DPS students and their siblings at no cost to families. This is part of the district’s goal of helping students achieve their best academically by supporting their health, said Elerie Archer, director of nursing services and health education for DPS.

Though Pinther will graduate before the additions open, she is grateful her fellow students will benefit. She said, “We’ve worked hard and deserve this.”