HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Although there is not much to see from the outside, work is well under way on the Hutchinson Sports Arena project.

According to Scott Sherry with JE Dunn, asbestos removal is well under way, as is the preliminary demolition of the visitors locker rooms and other areas to the north side of the current building. The dirt work is nearly finished for the north side addition and work crews expect to begin raising the walls of the north addition May 5th.

Some light work is also under way on the south side addition and more extensive work is expected to begin in the coming weeks. The work is on schedule and, if it stays so, the north side of the facility should be completed by Thanksgiving with the south side finished by Feb. 1st.

Crews also hope to get in around the graduation ceremonies and begin some work inside the main gym in the next week or two, but expect to begin most of the work inside the arena in July.