Construction work begins on Thomas University’s West Campus gymnasium

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The inside of the new gym on Thomas University’s West Campus are featured in these architect’s renderings. Construction is scheduled to be completed in June 2012.

December 13, 2011

Staff Writer cnhi The Times Enterprise Tue Dec 13, 2011, 07:57 PM EST

THOMASVILLE — By the summer of 2012, Thomas University students will have a new gymnasium and additional academic building for use on the university’s new West Campus. Today marks the first day of renovation of the gymnasium located at the former Magnolia High School campus.

“The university is excited about our development of the new West Campus,” said Dr. Gary Bonvillian, President of Thomas University. “This property will expand our programmable capability by more than doubling our campus facilities.”

With the purchase of the West Campus earlier this year, Thomas University’s campus grew from 29 acres to 74 acres, not including 66 acres of investment property.

Culpepper Construction Co. of Thomasville began work on the gymnasium today. The gym is planned to be ready for student use by the summer of 2012.

“The building was in fairly decent shape, but it needed a lot of work to make it usable for the university,” said Raymond C. Finger, owner of Raymond C. Finger Architects, LLC. “The building had a lot of good bones to it, so what we’re doing is keeping the good and replacing the bad with modern features.”

Much of the existing features will remain, such as the terra cotta tile floor and glazed block walls. The existing wooden gym floor will remain, but it will get a new finish.

The renovated building will also be more energy efficient. The block walls and the ceiling will gain insulation, which was not previously in place. New lights will use less energy that the former lights.

According to Finger, other features will be replaced, such as the ticket booth, concessions stand, restrooms, scoreboards and bleachers. The gym never had an air conditioning system, so it will be fitted with one. In the back of the building, the former two locker rooms will become four – men’s and women’s locker rooms for both the home team’s side and the visiting team’s side. The entire building will also be repainted.

“The whole idea is that when we’re done, it will look like a new building,” Finger said. “That building is really going to be a catalyst for the West Campus. It will be the first finished structure on West Campus and will set the stage for the rest of the buildings there.”

Finger added that in addition to being an athletics venue, the gym will also be an assembly space, which will allow for gatherings to include large numbers of people.

All buildings on West Campus that weren’t salvageable are in the process of being torn down with most of the material being recycles. In January work will begin on the Student Life Center (the former Chappelle Building) which will include classrooms and the university’s Wellness Center. Tributes to the Magnolia School history will be found throughout West Campus, including in a designated conference room in the Student Life Center.

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Construction work begins on Thomas University’s West Campus gymnasium

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