NEW ATHLETIC SPACE OPENS AT ST. FRANCIS SCHOOL’S DOWNTOWN CAMPUS WITH RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 27, 2021
Louisville, KY – As an interim step before building a state-of-the-art gymnasium adjacent to its High School, St. Francis School is excited to announce the completion of new onsite athletic facilities that will connect to the future gymnasium, including one of the largest indoor turf spaces among Louisville high schools.
A portion of the basement space in the High School’s 233 W. Broadway building has been converted into 2,575 square feet of indoor turf space and weightlifting/fitness facilities that will be used for practice and training by the School’s varsity teams — particularly field hockey, soccer, and baseball — as well as fitness classes during and after school, and general recreation for all high school students.
Please join us for light refreshments and a tour of the newly completed space at our Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony:
RIBBON-CUTTING DETAILS
Monday October 4, 2021, 12:00 p.m.
233 West Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 (Enter through the main entrance on Broadway.)
The School’s urban location offers abundant opportunities for learning and exploring, but space for athletic practices and recreation has been limited, until now! Designed by local architects Luckett and Farley, and built by Buffalo Construction, these gorgeous new athletic spaces are a welcome addition to the overall St. Francis School athletic program. In addition, moving the existing weight room to this new space creates a much-needed backstage and storage area for the School’s drama program, next to its existing black box theater.
“Having a large indoor turf space for our field teams gives us a competitive advantage in athletic facilities for the first time! Given that we have an urban high school, creating athletic facilities has always been a challenge, but with this new renovation, we’re able to give our teams, and all our students, a great space in which to train, practice, and just exercise.” said Head of School Alexandra Thurstone G’80, ‘84.
This project is the next-to-final phase in a multi-year $30 million campaign to “Create an Abundant Future for St. Francis School” by providing our students with the outstanding facilities they need and deserve, as well as bolstering the School’s endowment.
So far, the campaign has included a new gymnasium and a new Lobby and Theater on the Goshen Campus, acquiring the former Gray’s Bookstore building downtown adjacent to the High School’s 233 W. Broadway building, and acquiring 17,000 square feet of space in the 233 W. Broadway building, which was converted to new multi-purpose student spaces and a new lobby entrance on the first floor, and now the new athletic space in the basement.
In addition, the Campaign has raised nearly $7 million for the endowment.
The final phase will be a multipurpose Athletics and Wellness Center for the High School, connecting to the historic YMCA building at 3rd and Broadway and featuring regulation-sized high school basketball and volleyball courts, locker rooms, athletic offices, and concessions. Completing the gym will also provide our High School students with true home court advantage for the first time in the School’s history.
In addition to better serving the needs of our school community, the eventual Athletics and Wellness Center will also greatly enhance the appeal of the 3rd and Broadway corridor and create new opportunities for St. Francis School to collaborate on special projects, programming, and events with our downtown neighbors. We are looking for partners in this endeavor, as well so please reach out if interested.
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About St. Francis School
St. Francis School is a secular Preschool 2s – 12th grade Independent School dedicated to critical thinking and intellectual curiosity, where students learn HOW to think, not WHAT to think. St. Francis School’s environment fosters joy, kindness, and belonging so students can become who they were meant to be and contribute to a more just and equitable world.
The High School location in downtown Louisville allows a thriving metropolitan city to serve as an additional aspect of the education that helps foster independence and self-reliance, while the rural, 64-acre Preschool – 8th grade campus in Goshen allows younger students room to grow and explore as they experience the beauty of the outdoors.
Our Mission says it best: St. Francis School cultivates a joyful, compassionate, intellectual community that celebrates individuality and inspires independent thinking for life. Learn more at StFrancisSchool.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Carolyn Gilles Hannan ’99 | Director of Marketing and Communications | St. Francis School
502-736-1013 office | 646-379-0861 mobile | CHannan@StFrancisSchool.org