SIOUX CITY -- Creation of a new Bishop Heelan High School gymnasium was delayed, so "The Pit" had one additional winter for hosting Crusader basketball.
The gym project was aired in early 2018, shortly after an expansive new school opened. Construction was anticipated to begin last spring in order to replace the cramped older gym fans affectionately called "The Pit."
School leaders initially said the multi-million-dollar project was anticipated for completion in December, about a month into Heelan's 2018-19 basketball season.
However, Tom Betz, Heelan's vice president of advancement, in mid-February said a delay occurred due to unanticipated costs. He said while costs went up, the upside is a more modern design, including tilt-up concrete walls.
"In the end we will have a much more energy-efficient gymnasium," Betz said.
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Because of that, the estimated cost has grown above $3 million to $3.8 million, once fixtures and other items are added in.
The current gym status is that the exterior walls are up and installation of the roof is next. The new completion date is tentatively set for fall 2019.
Betz said people will enjoy the 1,600-seat facility.
"The game experience will have better seating, viewing, acoustics and sound system. It will be a top-loading gym with a running track around the top which will also be better for our athletes so that fans aren’t on the floor," Betz said.
"We also hold a number of non-athletic events that will be enhanced by this state-of-the-art facility. We also will now be able to have sufficient and modern locker rooms, coaches' offices and officials' rooms."
The new gym, which will connect just south to the new academic wing, also will host home volleyball and wrestling meets, as well as physical education classes, pep assemblies, regional show choir competitions and other special programs.
Heelan Interim CEO Timm Funk last year thanked donors for their generosity, which also helped launch the new high school, which replaced the old 1949 building.
“We are blessed with a dedicated group of benefactors who share and support our faith-based mission emphasizing academic achievement, excellence in the arts and Heelan’s long-standing tradition of outstanding athletics," Funk said.
The gym’s top-loading design means people will enter at the top and descend the steps to sit in the bleachers.
The gym will also feature a running and walking track looping the top of the gym, similar to Newman-Flanagan at Briar Cliff University. Included in the gym will be girls' and boys' locker rooms, athletic training and first-aid room, coaches' offices, locker rooms for game officials and referees, and an athletic equipment storage area.
It has been a bountiful construction era at Heelan. The new gym comprises a third phase of a $30 million-plus investment in the high school campus just north of downtown.
A new fine arts wing that cost $15 million opened in 2014; it now connects to the academic wing, which was built for $12 million.
The high school academic wing provides new classrooms, administration offices, a counseling center and chaplain offices in more than 55,000 square feet. In addition, it contains significant upgrades in technology connections, plus lecture and science labs and learning centers in which students can conduct group work.
