The Armenian community in Istanbul plans to build a new school in the city’s Bakırköy district according to Hürriyet Daily News.

Funded by the community and the Bakırköy Municipality, the school is expected to cost 4.5 billion Turkish Liras.

It will be constructed on 1,750 square meters of land belonging to the Surp Asdvadzadzin Church Foundation but which had been used by the municipality.

The new building will partially replace the 166 year-old Dadyan primary school at the site.

Community leaders say the old school is too small to house its 400 pupils. Expansion was out of the question since it is considered a historical landmark.

The new school’s foundation was laid on November 18.