The School recently secured a $16.5 million bond to help finance the $26 million “Building Our Tomorrow” campaign for the new Recreation and Wellness Center. This facility will replace the Thompson Gymnasium, which has been in use since 1972.
The school required the bond due to funds being donated as pledges. For instance, a donor who pledged $100,000 will contribute $20,000 annually over five years. These pledges for this development will remain valid through the 2029-30 school year.
The school was able to raise their $26,000,000 goal back in May 2024, which was made possible by many across the Brimmer and May network. Throughout this process, Chief Financial Officer Julian Hickman and his team were able to “deep understanding of our campus” to help the vision of the new athletic center come to life.
Hickman outlined the School’s financial strategy for utilizing the bond and its significance.
“We made the decision to start the project while pledges are being collected,” Hickman said. “We will use the bond to pay for construction of the building and then pay down the bank debt with the pledge payments as they are received.”
The new Recreation and Wellness Center will feature a college-regulation basketball court, two practice courts, a multi-purpose recreational area, two volleyball courts, 300-seat bleachers (up from 50), a cutting-edge workout facility, state of the art locker rooms for both home and visiting teams, and enhanced athletic trainer space and equipment.
“The gym space is large enough to accommodate full community events, allowing for all divisions of the school to come together for events” Hickman said. All the spaces will be state-of-the art offering more on-campus opportunities for Brimmer students.
The School has partnered with Sasaki Associates to plan all the new spaces.
Construction is planned to start in the Spring of 2025. After the winter athletics season, the current gymnasium will be demolished before construction starts.
