CAPITAL PROJECTS

An update on our Capital Projects

Brian Schick – Director of Business Operations

“… honour the heritage of the Marist Brothers who founded us and to continue to present the College as a modern educational facility equipping our students for the 21st Century. ”

We are also grateful to the families, both past and present, who faithfully support the College and the Building Fund.

When I joined the College in late 2019, our then Principal, Lee MacMaster, shared with me his vision for the projects that subsequently became our 2021 Capital Works. He instructed to me ensure that I got these projects completed, and through continual rain, COVID and his departure, we are now at the point of celebrating their completion.

The new Entrance Area to the College Administration Block, Staff Car Park, Senior School Basketball and Futsal Precinct and the Netball / Basketball and Volleyball Precinct in the Junior School are to be officially opened and blessed, along with our Indigenous Learning Space, on Friday 5 August 2022.

The intention of these projects was that they not only provided great facilities for our students, but that they added a new freshness to the already impressive external face of the College. With the addition of new signage throughout the Senior School and the sealing of the Farm Car Park, the consensus is that the College has done an excellent job in achieving this goal. While there have been many people involved in these projects, specific thanks need to go to our Maintenance and ICT staff who have put a significant amount of work into these projects.

Construction of our Multi-Purpose Building (previously referred to as STEM), commenced on 26 April 2022, with the contract being awarded to Morabuilt Pty Ltd. The scheduled completion date is February 2023; however, this is understandably contingent on the weather and current challenges with supply issues in the construction industry. This building been designed by our Architects, Bow Goold and Associates. The bottom floor, and renovated rooms 401-403, will house the music faculty in purpose-built learning and practice spaces. The first floor will house some general learning areas and a fully fitted out Food Technology classroom. Linking both floors is a 200 Seat Theatre/ Tiered Learning Space with state of the art audio visual equipment. This building links to the current 400 block and the Technologies Block (600 and 700) and will affectionately be called the 500 Block.

With its impressive internal facilities and architectural design, an external balcony, windows and an outdoor amphitheatre all looking over the College’s farmland, this will be a very special space within the College that we hope everyone will enjoy.

The College currently has quotes for Solar in the Senior School, Junior School and Boarding. While this project is being made more urgent by the current energy climate, it forms part of a sustainability project that commenced last year with the installation of LED lighting throughout the Senior School.

The next project to go to tender is the replacement of the roof on the Marian Centre. Unfortunately, this roof has leaked for many years due to a chemical reaction between the various building components used in that roof. This project will see a new roof installed over the existing roof as well as the construction of a covered outdoor area, with seating and an outdoor kitchen between the Marian Centre and the Donovan Centre. This covered area will be a gathering space for our senior students.

After two years of battling Campbelltown Council, they recently approved our plans for proper signage and associated landscaping at entrance to the Senior School campus. Unfortunately, this is not allowed to have an LED sign or any external lighting, but the approved project will substantially improve the look of our main

entrance and will match in with the other new signage around the College.

We are still working on a wet weather pickup area in the Junior School, Senan House renovations, a BBQ/Canteen Area for SCG1 and other undercover walkways around the College.

Our main project for 2023 will be the major renovation of the 000, 100, and 200 Blocks, which also includes the Senior School Toilets. This is the second stage of the Multi-Purpose Building project which is being partly funded by the NSW Government through the Catholic Block Grant Authority. We are extremely grateful for the generosity of the NSW Government and to Catholic Schools NSW who assisted us in applying for this grant. We are also grateful to the families, both past and present, who faithfully support the College and the Building Fund. Without this support we simply could not achieve everything that is needed to honour the heritage of the Marist Brothers who founded us and to continue to present the College as a modern educational facility equipping our students for the 21st Century.