BELLE — The Belle High School Building Trades Program at Belle High School (BHS) is three days into its year-long program and already students have the walls up at the Bob’s Frozen Custard expansion project.

Gehlert teaches a small group of five upperclassmen.

“We are adding 1,300 square feet onto Bob’s,” Gehlert said about the project. “Make part of it a sit-down restaurant eating area and the other half a big storage slash kitchen section.”

When the project is completed, owners Seth and Olivia Klein will have nearly doubled their space.

“We are not doing the stonework on the outside, just tin,” Gehlert said. “It’s way cheaper and more convenient nowadays and things have been updated since Bob’s was first built.”

The Kleins also bought the lot behind Bob’s Frozen Custard to use as a parking lot, creating more room for customers.

“Seth approached us last school year around February and asked if it would be something the Building Trades would be interested in and we said absolutely,” Gehlert said. “We still had to write up a proposal to the school board and he said absolutely.”

It will take the students the entire school year to complete the project, according to Gehlert. Part of the length of time is also due to the work the students aren’t responsible for.

“Krause Foundations is doing the concrete work; as of now Mid-Mo Drain Jerry Dean Weller is doing the plumbing; and Perry Cox is doing the HVAC (Cox Brothers Heating and Cooling). Building Trades is going to be doing everything else,” Gehlert said.

The plumbing work was completed two weeks ago and concrete work was poured and completed a week ago. Students began framing walls last week.

BHS Senior John Valley said on Friday morning that they had just started framing the first three walls.

“We just started framing the first three walls and putting on zip board and zip tape,” Valley said. “We are almost done with the outside walls.”

Once the outer walls are up and framed, Valley said they will start on the interior walls.

“Once we get those done we will start putting tin on,” Valley said.

“This will be our third or fourth actual work day,” students said.

Valley is already working for a local construction company. He believes that the skills he has learned in the class will help him succeed if he ever attempts his own project.

Both Valley and a fellow student said they would recommend the class to other students.

“It’s a good learning experience, which a lot of people need these days cause it’s growing,” Valley’s classmate added.

Students will continue their work through the winter and spring months.