REDMOND — Since its founding in 1992, Central Christian School has never had its own gym, which has caused many headaches.

Assemblies and schoolwide events were held in the parking lot, or at other churches. The Tigers’ basketball and volleyball teams played home games at the publicly-owned Redmond Early Learning Center. Physical education classes were held outside, meaning kids had to go inside when the weather grew too cold. But starting next school year, the 250 children at the school, from preschoolers through 12th graders, won’t have those problems. The school’s new gym — which is being constructed in a building once used by a medical insurance company — is expected to be complete by the end of the summer. School leaders hope it will bring together the private school’s families and bolster its athletics program.

“The gym really symbolizes for us … the opportunity to develop the Central Christian community,” said Elisa Carlson, head of school. “When you don’t have a home court advantage, it makes it really difficult to develop your teams.”

The new gym, located next door to Central Christian School’s main building near the Redmond Airport, is the culmination of two years of planning and $3 million raised by families. In 2018, families got so swept up in a donation drive that preschoolers brought pennies to class so they could contribute, Carlson said.

Construction so far has not seen any delays because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Carlson said.

The 14,000 square-foot building will host more than the gym. Alongside locker rooms, a weight room and a concession stand, the building will host Central Christian School’s music room and an additional classroom for preschool overflow in the fall, Carlson said. The school also eventually plans to install a production kitchen, both for events and for a potential cooking class, she said.

In particular, having a weight room will be a huge boon for Central Christian School’s student-athletes, who previously had to drive to a separate gym down the road, Carlson said.

Central Christian School purchased the building in 2018, after its previous tenant, a medical insurance company, left, Carlson said. Construction, led by Bend firm Kirby Nagelhout, began in August.

It’s hard to believe the building used to be filled with cubicles. Although it isn’t finished yet — bleachers will be installed this summer, along with a gym floor baseboard and some other cosmetic upgrades — the gym looks mostly complete. The hardwood court and decor is mostly gray and white, with splashes of the school’s primary color of purple.

The school also received a $10,000 P.E. grant in late May from the Oregon School Activities Association Foundation. This means students will have new equipment to go with their new gym, from basketballs to badminton nets.

New P.E. materials were desperately needed after years of wear and tear to their old equipment, Carlson said.

“All of our equipment had been used outside, so you can imagine the condition of it,” she said.

The first planned event in Central Christian School’s new gym will be before the 2020-21 school year even begins. On July 25, the school will hold an in-person, but socially distanced, graduation ceremony for its 11 seniors.

Because the graduating class is so small, spacing out the graduates and their families in the large gym won’t be difficult, Carlson said. Departing seniors told school administrators in a recent video call that they wanted to graduate in the new building.

“Some of them have gone to school here since they were in preschool, and they have prayed and believed for a gym,” Carlson said. “They are now seeing, but it’s at the very end of their high school career.”