Robbie Morris, executive director of the RCDA, told The Inter-Mountain Tuesday that construction for the 28,000-square foot, $11.6 million facility has progressed so quickly that officials have bumped up its opening date.

“Work at the Event Center is going really well. The weather has definitely been in our favor this summer,” Morris said. “The steel construction has gone very well and has actually put us back on schedule.

“We were looking at July 1 of 2026 for the opening, but now we are tentatively looking at May 1 of 2026. That could obviously change, but as things are going right now, we are hoping that the steel will be completed by the end of this month.”

Morris said that after the steel work is complete, a roof will be put on the facility.

Workers with Paramount Builders and CKS Contracting perform duties around the new Event Center being constructed in downtown Elkins. The facility is projected to officially open in May 2026.

“They should have the roof on by October or the first part of November to where they will be able to work inside throughout winter and keep up on that schedule,” Morris said. “As long as the weather continues to be like it has, we should be good to go.”

Morris added that construction work on the parking lot for the Event Center should begin soon.

“They are finishing up getting the storm water system and that kind of stuff in place,” Morris said. “In the southern end of the Railyard, there’s one little water issue that they have had to reengineer some stuff and redesign to fix, but after they get that done I think it’s their intention to at least put the base coat of pavement down in the parking lot before winter hits. If they don’t get to it because we get a cold spell or something, then they would do it as soon as the weather breaks.”

Paramount Builders from St. Albans is the general contractor at the site, while CKS Contracting of Buckhannon is putting up the steel for the facility, which is being built behind the Elkins Railroad Depot and Rotary Amphitheater.

Once complete, the facility will include a performance theater, a conference center and a working space for the Ascend Greater Elkins program.