Test pilings were driven into the site earlier this year. Construction is expected to begin in May, with anticipated completion in late summer 2012.
The facility will include a 4,500-seat arena suitable for athletic and other large-scale events. It will become the home of Xavier men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball and replace The Barn, a 1,300-seat gymnasium opened in 1937.
"This new arena will be a tremendous addition for Xavier athletics," XU Athletics Director Dennis Cousin said. "It will upgrade our already excellent programs and take them a notch higher. It will be a big boost to us in recruiting."
The Convocation Academic Center also will contain classrooms, offices and meeting spaces. A regulation-size auxiliary basketball court also will be included to add flexibility in scheduling practices for the basketball and volleyball teams.
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| Manning Architects' rendering of Xavier's Convocation Academic Center, which is expected to be completed in late summer 2012. |
"This is an exciting time for Xavier," women's basketball coach Bo Browder said. "We've been blessed with a lot of fun, a lot of success and a lot of great memories in The Barn. But I'm looking forward to this new arena and creating some new memories."
A pedestrian bridge will be constructed across Washington Avenue to help the Xavier community better access the new building. And for Xavier athletics, the progress does not stop there.
"There also are plans to construct tennis courts in the near future not far from the Convocation Academic Center," Cousin said. "This will give our nationally ranked tennis teams the ability to not only practice on campus but to also host dual matches, something we haven't done in decades."
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
Xavier University of Louisiana
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