“The J. Fred Johnson Sports Center” is coming to Greensboro Day School

CLICK HERE to see the artist’ rendering of this project and the plans that is will be built from…..See below for the Press Release coming in from the GDS campus, on Lawndale Drive….

GDS to Construct a Second New Building: An Auxiliary Gymnasium

Greensboro Day School is pleased to announce that students will have not one – but TWO – new buildings ready for next school year. Construction will begin in February on a new auxiliary gymnasium. Sited between the Alumni Gym and the new Bell Family Middle School, this gymnasium will provide much-needed space for physical education classes, wrestling, cheerleading, volleyball, girls’ and boys’ basketball practice, and auxiliary/summer athletic programs.

As of January 2014, over $1,050,000 in capital gifts has been committed for this auxiliary gym and the Board of Trustees approved moving forward in tandem with the Middle School construction to take advantage of the economies of building them as a combined construction site. The goal is to raise at least another $450,000 – a total of $1.5 million – for the auxiliary gymnasium. Samet Construction (currently on site constructing the new Middle School) will expand the construction project to include the new gym designed by architect John Drinkard of Calloway, Johnson, Moore and West.

The auxiliary gymnasium is the most crucial program element of a larger vision for an indoor sports center featuring a pedestrian walkway, Hall of Fame, concessions and gathering space, and improved locker rooms and bathrooms. The entire complex will be named “The J. Fred Johnson Sports Center” in honor of long-time athletic director and renowned basketball coach Freddy Johnson. The Hall of Fame and pedestrian additions will be completed in a subsequent phase.

The capital campaign for the auxiliary gym will be fast-paced in the final four months of the ongoing Generations Campaign, ending June 30, 2014. The building will be totally funded by charitable gifts and will not impact tuition. Anyone will be welcome to give to the athletic facility campaign; however, the effort will concentrate on alumni, especially alumni athletes.