WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — When first-time visitors stepped into Mount Greylock Regional School's renovated gymnasium Monday morning, it was hard not to look up — at the new scoreboards, the pristine light-reflecting white walls, the giant fans that will better circulate the air, the windows at the east end that were preserved as part of the renovation.

 

Mount Greylock Principal Mary MacDonald was looking down.

 

"Are those sneakers?" she asks a physical education student about to head onto the floor for an informal shootaround.

 

Confirming that they're not, she asks the student either to change or go with stocking feet.

 

"We're trying to be very vigilant about the floors," MacDonald says as she shows off the refurbished space.

 

The gymnasium, popularly referred to as the Mountie Dome, has been offline since the end of the 2016-17 basketball season. Last week, the school district secured a certificate of occupancy from the town to start using the space, the first tangible gain from Mount Greylock's addition/renovation project.

 

The gym and auditorium — also being renovated — are larger than would have been allowed under the Massachusetts School Building Authority's program for a school with Mount Greylock's student population. That fact was a consideration in the district's decision to put forward an add/reno project instead of a complete rebuild back in 2015.

 

The district had hoped to have the gymnasium back online sometime this past fall, but the construction schedule had to be readjusted.

 

The physical education department conducted classes outside as much as possible when weather allowed and made use of indoor space, like the cafeteria, in the old middle/high school.

 

The interscholastic athletic program has used off-site facilities like the local elementary schools for practices and hosted volleyball, basketball and wrestling events at either MCLA in North Adams or Williams College.

 

On Tuesday evening, Mount Greylock is scheduled to host its first public event in the renovated gymnasium, a wrestling match against Monument Mountain.