The scars of the infamous 2019 tornado will never fully fade, but as the new school year begins, the void of Hicks Gym is finally being filled as construction on the Marksman Athletic Complex begins.
After 3 years of painstaking planning and funding, construction crews broke ground this summer and have been hard at work.
““There’s been about 300 building piers installed for the structure of the building, and the pool has been excavated,” Athletic Director Sean Lissemore said. “As you can see, there’s a lot of work being done every single day.”
For now, the timeline for completion in early 2025 remains the same, and the hope is for the new facilities to make an immediate impact on St. Mark’s Athletics.
“It’s going to be really nice to have additional facilities for practice and for hosting competitions,” Lissemore said. “Having that large locker room is going to be a lot better than what we currently have. I just think the energy from that new facility is going to be great not only for athletics, but for our community as a whole because that space is going to host community events as well.”
Due to the vigorous construction, the parking dynamics on campus have been rearranged to provide a safe space for students and faculty to park.
“We added 300 temporary parking spaces adjacent to the Winn Science Center at the northwest field,” Lissemore said. “And we’re still planning to have the new parking spaces by Thanksgiving.”
The construction of the athletic complex is a priority for Lissemore.
“I’m sure there’s going to be additional athletic renovations,” Lissemore said. “But right now, the main focus is on this athletic complex and this construction.”
