Thanks to a major donation, Ursuline Academy’s gym and fitness center will be renovated.
The Wilmington school received a $5 million gift from developer Anthony Fusco Sr.
Ursuline Academy President Dr. Trisha Medeiros says the fitness center and gymnasium will get a new look.
"Within the center will be a complete renovation of our gymnasium which has aged quite a bit and does not really stand up to the quality of our esteemed teams and athletic legacy,” said Medeiros. “We will have a full and enlarged redone fitness center for our students as well as our faculty and staff to take advantage of."
Medeiros adds the new center will be named the Anthony M. Fusco Sr. Health and Fitness Center.
She notes the square footage of the fitness center below the gymnasium will be expanded by about four to five times larger than it is currently.
As for the gym, Medeiros says that it will also grow in size as part of the renovations.
"We're going to open up a little bit of a wall and have a skywalk which will give about 50 to 75 more seats. We are going to redo the floor, paint, our signage needs some work for sure. It's going to look spectacular," said Medeiros.
The money will also be used for some deferred maintenance as well as some HVAC projects and to improve accessibility areas including a new elevator.
Medeiros hopes this expansion and renovation will not only attract new students, but it will also help attract and retain faculty and staff.
Groundbreaking is expected right after graduation this year with the goal of finishing the project in the summer of 2025.
