Get ready for more campus construction: a new gymnasium, atrium, and library. But this time, the site is Fairfield Prep, and the changes will make Prep an even bigger part of the Fairfield community.
“I think the construction will be a great thing for Prep,” said Matt Kosko, a Fairfield Prep Junior. “To finally have our own gym will be great, and to connect the two buildings will be nice for rainy days,” Kosko said.
“Space is, as everyone here knows, a problem on the campus,” said Richard Magdon, housemaster of Xavier Hall. “However, with what we have, we think it’s an ‘everybody wins’ situation.”
The new construction will be the first addition to the campus since the high school was founded 60 years ago. Prep held its first classes in McAuliffe Hall, later moved to Berchman’s Hall and, soon after, Xavier Hall.
The new construction will be completed over the course of the next two to three years, and will be done in three phases. First, Berchmans Hall will be cleared out after Memorial Day weekend, and all classes previously held in Berchman’s will be moved to Xavier Hall. Then work will begin on fixing-up the building by installing new carpets, repainting, and installing a new fire sprinkler system. This should be completed in time for the new school year in September.
The next phase will be the construction of the new gym. The groundbreaking will be in September of 2002, and construction will continue into 2003. The gym will be a non-spectator gym, designed to hold practices for Prep sports teams. It will be located where the satellite dishes are currently housed. Alumni Hall will still be used for Prep basketball games.
“I think that’s important,” said Magdon. “The facilities at Alumni Hall are terrific. For a high school kid to play basketball there, that’s a big deal for him.”
The new facilities at Prep are sorely needed. “We have to have a new gym,” said John Brennan, the housemaster of Berchman’s Hall and the dean of students. “It’s absolutely vital.”
Currently, the Prep sports programs are very reliant on the schedule of the University. “Let’s say it’s a rainy day,” Magdon said. “The baseball team needs to practice. As it stands now, they have to check with the University to see if they can practice in Alumni Hall. If Alumni Hall is booked, then they just can’t practice that day.” With the new gym, teams will now have a place to practice indoors, no matter what the weather, Magdon said.
“The University has been very good to us,” Magdon said. “With the new gym, we hope to take the burden off them somewhat.”
The third phase will connect Berchmans and Xavier Halls together with an atrium and a library.
“I’m sorry I’m going to be missing it,” said Michael Fraher, who is a senior at Prep. “The first addition to Prep in over 50 years, that’s a big deal. We’re excited about it.”
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