FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio - More than 18 months after residents approved a $35.2 million permanent improvement project, Fairview Park City Schools is about to start construction.

The nearly two-year project includes renovations at Fairview High School and Mayer Middle School, as well as updates at Parkview Early Education Center and Gilles-Sweet Elementary.

A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Middle School courtyard. Fairview Park City Schools Superintendent Bill Wagner said the project has been a long time coming.

"The groundbreaking ceremony will have Mayor Patton, Board of Education members, principals, architects, designers and engineers," Wagner said. "It'll be an exciting time."

Work has already begun on the design of the Parkview Early Education Center building with construction scheduled to begin next year. In a related move, the district recently decided to move up the expansion of Gilles-Sweet Elementary.

"We're looking to do our parking lot expansion at Gilles-Sweet Elementary a year early to help facilitate some of the work at Parkview," Wagner said.

"That decision was made in the past couple of months because next summer is when the Parkview Early Education Center, which runs all year long, will have the majority of its renovation."

The Superintendent said the district will have to relocate its Parkview Early Education Center summer programs to Gilles-Sweet Elementary. The completed parking lot expansion will make the process smooth.

Something else taking place next summer is a longer break than normal, which Wagner said is just a one-time occurrence.

"It seems everybody is aware of that," Wagner said. "It means longer summers for kids actually, and I haven't heard too many complaints about that. Students will return Aug. 22 of this year, but they'll get out May 23, 2019 because we're compressing the school year with spring break being only Good Friday and the Monday after Easter. That allows for an extended 2019 summer because the kids won't come back until after Labor Day.

"That's phase 3 of our project at the High School and Middle School where we will be doing a significant amount of demolition in the middle of the building, including our current cafeteria area and maintenance area. That will take some time. We want to get that done before kids return to school."

Currently optimism reigns about the project, which is starting on time and under budget. Once the work is completed, the Fairview Park City Schools should be in good shape for 21st century learning in 21st century buildings.

"Other than just regular maintenance, I certainly hope so," Wagner said. "Our goal is to finish the entire project at all three sites by February 2020."