The brand new construction ushers in a new era for Xavier Athletics
Story by Peter Mayer Advertising
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) is heralding in a new era of athletics with a series of events celebrating the opening of the Convocation Center and Annex. The Convocation Center will become the home of XULA men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball and replaces The Barn, a 1,300-seat gymnasium opened in 1937.
"The Barn will always be a part of Xavier’s history, but I look forward to seeing the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets continue their winning traditions as well as establishing new traditions in the Convocation Center," says Dr. Norman C. Francis, President of XULA.
The new center boasts more than 93,000 square feet of athletic space with over 3,500 seats that can be reconfigured for a variety of purposes. The end stage and center stage arrangement allows flexibility for athletic and other large-scale events. A state-of-the-art scoreboard system includes four LED displays providing live and recorded video.
The facility cost approximately $2.5 million. Construction began in April. Manning Architects designed the facility, and Gibbs Construction built it. Streets bordering the courts are Stroelitz to the north, Palm to the south, Pine to the west and Broadway to the east.
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The Convocation Center will be the home of, among other things,
XU men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball.
PDF notes from XU Sports Information |
The Convocation Center also includes weight room facilities with taping and training areas as well as coaches' offices and home and visitor locker rooms. A monumental staircase at the entrance leads to a high-end VIP suite, and a dramatic second floor pre-function area that allows views to the outdoor plaza below while providing natural daylight into the facility.
Supporting the Convocation Center is the Xavier University Convocation Annex that houses classrooms, athletic storage, and athletic offices as well as a "green" parking lot with pervious paving and solar panels. The Convocation Center and Annex are anticipated to be LEED Silver Buildings and incorporate community connectivity, water conservation, energy efficiency, recycled and regional materials, and improved indoor air quality. These are the first LEED certified projects for Xavier University.
"Xavier's continued expansion is a reflection of the growth this University has seen over the last 75 years," stated Ray Manning of Manning Architects, the architects for the two structures. "The Convocation Center's capacity is three times that of The Barn, ensuring the multi-use facility can accommodate Xavier's growing needs."
The Convocation Center is across Washington Avenue from the main campus on a site bounded by Short, Palm and Stroelitz streets. A pedestrian bridge will be constructed across Washington Avenue to give the XULA community better access to the new building.
A series of grand opening events will be held Saturday, November 3 beginning at 10 a.m. with a community tailgate party. The schedule is as follows:
Xavier University Convocation Center Grand Opening Schedule of Events
Saturday November 3, 2012
Tailgating
10 a.m.
Open to the Public — requests from media for interviews and photos will be honored.
Ribbon Cutting and Blessing of the Facility
11:30 a.m.
Open to the Public - requests from media for interviews and photos will be honored
Basketball Doubleheader
Men's game — Xavier vs. Morehouse , 1 p.m.
Women's game — Xavier vs. Johnson & Wales (Fla.), 3 p.m.
Doubleheader tickets available for $10 — requests from media for interviews and photos will be honored.
About Manning Architects
Manning Architects is an architecture, interior design, and urban design and planning firm based in New Orleans, Louisiana that provides a comprehensive range of professional design services. Formed in 1985, it has consistently ranked as one of the five largest architectural firms in New Orleans. The company is large enough to successfully undertake complex, large-scale projects, yet small enough to remain sensitive to the needs of individual clients with limited resources. Over the years the firm has designed facilities for a wide range of clients in transportation, educational, commercial, civic, cultural, and hospitality. The staff of Manning Architects has expertise in all phases of design and construction, including site evaluation, urban planning and feasibility studies, project programming and design, construction document preparation, and construction ' management and administration. For more information, go to www.manningarchitects.com.
Xavier University of Louisiana is a private, co-educational institution offering a comprehensive liberal arts program and professional programs, including 38 undergraduate majors, five master’s degree programs and a doctor of pharmacy program. Xavier is the only historically Black, Catholic university in the United States and draws students from 39 states, Washington, D.C., Guam, the Virgin Islands and 7 foreign countries. For more information contact Xavier University of Louisiana, 1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans LA 70125, Phone: 504-520-7568, Fax 504-520-7933.
The Xavier Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets compete in Division I of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) as a member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference(GCAC). Xavier fields men's teams in basketball, cross country, tennis and track and field and women's teams in basketball, cross country, tennis, track and field and volleyball.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
