Kingston Mayor Dr Angela Brown Burke toured the soon-to-be-finished Wolmer's auditorium at Northern Heroes Circle yesterday.

The building covers a quarter acre and will seat 1,800 people when completed in a few days' time. It will serve the needs of 3,500 students at the three Wolmer's schools - 1,500 at the boys' high school, 1,500 at the girls' high school, and 500 at the preparatory school.

A Wolmerian herself, Brown Burke was delighted to see the progress of the construction.

"It's so important for each school to meet as a family together, and this will soon be possible in this wonderful building," she said.

Brown Burke was particularly impressed with how the artwork of the boys was displayed in the Boys' School's administration building. She felt the school's cenotaph honouring alumni killed in the First World War was an important historical symbol demonstrating the ultimate sacrifice made by Wolmerians a hundred years ago.

She appealed to all Wolmerians to donate to help close the funding gap for the auditorium. The total construction cost is $171 million, and $165 million has so far been raised in cash and pledges from alumni, parents and friends of Wolmer's, leaving a gap of $6 million.

The first official function in the new building will be a dedication ceremony on Founder's Day, scheduled to take place on Thursday, May 21, at 5 p.m.