FAIRMONT – Fairmont High School’s main gymnasium underwent an extensive renovation over the summer, and spectators, students and athletes will all notice that the gym is now much more modern and brighter.
Activities director Matt Mahoney said the project was a process that took several months to come to fruition.
“We formed a small committee of volleyball coaches, basketball coaches, and came up with a design as a group with the school administration and Tyler Garrison (Buildings and Grounds). We all had some ideas and after a few meetings, it came together really well.” Mahoney said.
Planning was done over the winter and finalized in the spring, and once the plans were in place, the first thing they did was have a contractor come in and cleaned all the ducts in the ceiling, which took about a week, Mahoney said.
“You have to remember this place was built in 1971, so it’s pretty dusty.” Mahoney said.
After vacuuming and taping, the ceiling and walls were painted. The ceiling was previously a mix of orange and yellow but is now white, brightening up the space.
“Once the ceilings and walls were done, they came and sanded the floors.” Mahoney said.
The floors were painted a two-tone color and left to sit for about a week before being repainted with all of the various lines and Cardinal logos.
The flooring is not original to the gymnasium and was installed in 2010 along with the bleachers.
Garrison said: “It’s recommended that floors like this be refinished every 10 years, but we apply a new finish every summer to protect and preserve the floor, so this floor and the floors at the elementary school have lasted a long time.”
In addition to renovations to the walls, floors and ceilings, new banners were hung for each Big South Conference school division, Visual Identity Vault did the door wrapping and new sports score tables were installed.
Also of note was that all of the banners showing the years that various teams won state championships were returned to their normal places on the wall.
“We love these banners. They tell a story. This wall is perfect for highlighting them.” Mahoney said.
Mahoney purposely postponed home games so the gym would be completed before district games. Physical education classes have been held in the gym since the start of the school year, but the first home game won’t be played until Sept. 17, when Fairmont volleyball takes on St. James.
Mahoney noted that this is the gym’s most significant renovation since 2010 and said he believes the district went about the project the right way by tackling multiple renovations at once.
The cost of the floors themselves, including sanding, staining, repainting and finishing, totaled $63,000. The cost of painting, including the rafters, ceilings and walls, was $57,000.
“We’re really happy with it, and everyone I’ve spoken to agrees it has a classy feel that will never go out of style.” Mahoney said.
Get the latest news from the day and more delivered to your inbox