Dear Gunston Community:
On behalf of our Board of Trustees, I am pleased to share with you some important and exciting school news. As you may know, following the major academic facilities upgrade resulting from our successful $4 million Second Century Campaign, the school has been developing an Athletic Master Plan with the aim of enhancing the quality of our overall athletic facilities and program.
In this regard, this past summer Gunston was presented with the truly unique opportunity to acquire a 3.4-acre parcel of waterfront property directly adjacent to the eastern side of our campus. In addition to the land, this parcel (located at 1000 Gunston Road) also includes the former Middleton family residence, as well as a substantial storage facility. Within several weeks, the school will finalize the acquisition of this property, and in addition to its longer-term value for the school, this purchase will allow us to immediately and substantially address several major athletic facilities concerns.
Here are some of the most significant impacts:
- New Gunston Waterfront Athletics/Environmental Center: Within several months, The Lewis Family will relocate to the original Middleton Residence, and the current Headmaster's Residence will be transformed into a Waterfront Athletics/Environmental Center. Although the full design has not yet been completed, this 3000+-square foot facility will most likely include:
- A fitness/workout space for all students
- Team rooms, lockers, and showers
- Space for environmental teaching and learning
- Facilities for waterfront academic/athletic events
- Conditioned storage space for academic and athletic use
- The Gunston Field House: By relocating waterfront athletes (who represent nearly 40% of all Gunston athletes) to the renovated facility, the overcrowding of the current Field House locker rooms will be substantially reduced. Meanwhile, as part of the Athletics Master Plan, the school is currently developing a concept for an expanded gym and Field House.
- Outdoor Classrooms and Summer Programming: This summer, YMCA Camp Gunston and Horizons at Gunston School served nearly 1000 young men and women from around the region. The newly acquired property offers substantial green space that can be utilized for both environmental teaching and learning and summer programs.
- Long-term "footprint" expansion: Over the past 7 years, Gunston's enrollment has grown nearly 40%. As the school develops its longer-term strategic plan and considers future building projects, this purchase provides us with much greater "footprint flexibility", especially in the Critical Area where it is nearly impossible to expand without a currently-existing building footprint.
It is an exciting time at Gunston, and let me acknowledge the vision and commitment of our Board of Trustees. With growing enrollment, expanding academic and athletic programs, and a remarkably talented student body and faculty, we believe that the next few years herald a further strengthening of our 107-year old school. Over the next few months, we will keep you updated as we finalize the plans for the Waterfront Center, and our goal is to have this space operational by Autumn of 2017.
Thank you to everyone who pledged their support for this project at our Bull and Oyster Roast. For this project to be successful, we will rely upon the philanthropic generosity of our community. If you are interested in providing philanthropic support, please contact either me or our Director of Advancement, Joanna Pierce. We are deeply grateful for your ongoing loyalty to Gunston, and if you have questions about the new facility, or wish to tour the new property, please let us know.
Warm regards,
John A. Lewis, IV
Headmaster
jlewis@gunston.org
