Roswell's Crabapple Center renovation is about 80% done, the city said Monday. Two new HVAC units push completion to early 2027, a year past the first target.

The renovation of Crabapple Center, the former Crabapple Middle School that Roswell is turning into a home for its performing arts programs, is about 80% complete. Work is now expected to finish in early 2027.

The city gave the update in a Roswell Connections post on Monday. It said the finish date moved to allow for the installation of two new HVAC units. Renovations began in April 2026.

That is about a year later than the first plan. When the city laid out the project in October 2025, it said renovations were targeted for completion in early spring 2026, if contracts and budgets were approved.

What the center is

Roswell bought the school for $6.5 million in February 2025, using money from its parks bond referendum. The 20-acre property is at 10700 Crabapple Road, beside Roswell Area Park. That is according to the city’s October 2025 post.

The city’s plan is to move performing arts classes out of the Physical Activity Center at Roswell Area Park and into Crabapple Center. That frees the activity center for gymnastics. The city said in October 2025 it planned to convert up to seven classrooms into studios and look at turning the cafeteria into a small black box performance space.

Demand is the reason. Participation in music, dance, theater and other performing arts programs has risen 80% since 2021, the city said Monday.

What has been done and what is left

The city lists three phases:

Phase What it covers
1 Buying the property and preparing it for use
2 New roofs and turning interior spaces into studios and performance areas
3 Access to Roswell Area Park, the grounds, and more studio and program space

Inside the building, Phase 3 so far includes:

  • restrooms renovated with ADA-compliant fixtures
  • hallway lockers removed, doors refinished and walls repainted
  • new paint and luxury vinyl tile in the offices
  • classrooms with new furniture, audiovisual equipment, cameras and signage

Still to come are the HVAC replacement, front entrance work, sidewalks and concrete, and exterior pressure washing. The classrooms will get dance floors and barres. The city said the final dance floors go in after the new HVAC units are installed.

The new entrance on Crabapple Road

A new entrance sign went up at the Crabapple Road entrance in October. The city said it is similar to the Roswell Area Park sign. Landscaping and irrigation work is scheduled for late October and early November, and should be finished by December.

The $87,500 landscaping job includes:

  • a new irrigation system
  • about 3,300 square feet of turfgrass
  • 14 trees and 96 shrubs
  • 621 native ornamental grasses

It is paid for from the 2022 parks bond and the city’s Tree Bank Program. “This project aims to improve the appearance of the Crabapple Center entrance through landscaping and site enhancements consistent with other park entrances in our system,” said Nick Paserchia, project manager for the landscaping work.

The back parking lot reopened after the Roswell Area Park pond project was finished in September, and the Crabapple Center lot was repaved.

What it means for you

  • Performing arts families: the city plans to move programs to Crabapple Center once the work is finished, now expected in early 2027. It has not announced a move date.
  • The building is in use during the work. Summer camps ran in one section this year while another was renovated, and construction has since moved to the camp side. The center’s gym is being used for volleyball while other gyms are renovated.
  • Visiting the center: expect landscaping crews at the Crabapple Road entrance through November.
  • Following the project: the city posts updates on its Crabapple Center page. Council reports and presentations are on the city’s meeting portal.

The city also runs four playground replacements from the same bond program. For more of what is on in town, see things to do in Roswell.