St. Stanislaus demolishing old gym and chapel

St. Stanislaus College Board of Directors is demolishing the Old Gym Building and the Chapel building.

The Old Gym was built in 1923 and the Chapel building was built in 1930. Both buildings had significant damage from Hurricane Katrina.

These are the two oldest building on the campus. During Katrina both buildings had their roofs pulled away and received a tremendous amount of water damage.

For the past 15 years, engineers, architects, and developers had been brought in but all walked away from the project.

The total cost to repurpose the Old Gym and Chapel would have been over $20 million. St. Stanislaus Alumni Director Joe Gex said, “Beginning in 1930, every brother in the United States providence made their final vows in this chapel building. So, there are not just memories from students coming down. The brothers have pledged their life to Jesus Christ to God and to the academic development of young men are being torn away from them.”

Once the demolition is competed the Old Gym site will become a green space and the Old Chapel site will become an improved and safer entrance to the campus from the student parking lot across the street.