(From left: Michael Earle ’92, General Contractor; Don Norkus ’67, Campaign Chairman; Bill Attardi ’82, Campaign Director; Ross Fales, Principal; Br. Frank Byrne ’75, President; Joe Tort ’76, Board Chairman; Tom Ferro ’13; Campaign Associate Director.)
Christian Brothers Academy took a major step towards the newest round of campus upgrades on Saturday, May 15.
The Academy held its ceremonial groundbreaking for multiple new facilities, as part of the ongoing Forever CBA: Securing Our Mission capital campaign.
“Since the founding of CBA in 1959, building and enhancing the academic, athletic, and cultural facilities has always been an important part of our strategic planning,” said President Brother Frank Byrne, FSC ’75. “The campus plan at CBA has always been ‘in motion’ so that we can build and enhance the facilities in order to meet the needs of our students.”
The ceremony was held in between two buildings that will be reconstructed – the Round Barn and McKenna Hall. The new buildings will be built in the same footprint of the soon-to-be demolished structures.
Over 100 alumni, parents, and supporters were present at the ceremony, as they celebrated the upcoming construction and over $11 million raised in the Forever CBA campaign. With a goal of $12 million, over $6 million dollars will be allocated for facilities upgrades. The remaining funds will help grow CBA’s scholarship offerings and school endowment, which currently stands at over $30 million.
“We would not be here today if not for the generosity of our donors, parents, board members and alumni, who have unselfishly supported this capital campaign,” said Don Norkus ’67, chairman of the Forever CBA campaign. “It is exciting that construction will begin shortly, but we’re not at the finish line yet and look forward to reaching the $12 million goal and completing the remaining projects.”
The Round Barn and McKenna Hall were original structures on CBA’s 157-acre campus, leftover from the former Whitney Greentree Stables that had occupied the property.
The Round Barn, which originally trained racehorses, was converted into a practice facility for the Academy’s nationally-ranked running teams. To that end, the new Tom Heath Round Barn will be a state-of-the-art track facility, equipped with a synthetic running surface, energy-efficient lighting, radiant heat and roof ventilation, a multipurpose practice infield, a classroom, and restroom facilities.
McKenna Hall, named after CBA’s first principal Brother Bernard McKenna, will be two-story building that will serve a variety of academic and extracurricular purposes.
Two additional athletic facilities will be built during this phase of the construction: the Sheehan Track & Field Complex and a Soccer & Lacrosse Complex.
The new Sheehan Track & Field will feature an eight-lane track that incorporates a natural grass infield and the most up-to-date safety and performance technology. It will provide enhanced spectator viewing, including accessible bleachers. A new scoreboard, sound system and equipment shed will complete the facility.
The Soccer & Lacrosse Complex will be visible from Newman Springs Road and will replace the existing track that currently occupies the area. The facility will feature an artificial turf playing field and bleachers with accessible seating, as well as new scoreboard and sound system.
A third athletic facility – the Sullivan Tennis Courts – will undergo an expansion, including adding the O’Shea-Martin Tennis Pavilion to the facility. The additions include new wind-screening, a mid-court viewing platform, a new record board, and parking area. The pavilion will offer spectators and players a shaded viewing area.
The Forever CBA campaign was started in 2017 with a silent phase that garnered over $8.4 million from Academy supporters. The campaign was publicly launched to the CBA community in October 2019.
Future projects within the campaign include reconstructing the Benilde Hall office building, additions to the varsity baseball field, and the expansion of both the campus cafeteria and Alumni Hall multipurpose room.
