Years of effort paid off Friday for the Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart, as the all-girls school on Main Street officially broke ground on a new gymnasium. Hundreds of students, faculty, and donors turned out for the official start of construction. Head of School Jennifer Demert says the facility will be used for a variety of functions.
"We have 6,000 alumni, so we needed a large space for us to come together in community. We anticipate using it for some of our fundraising, party efforts, as well as to come together for mass, for pep rallies and all sorts of events in the future," Demert said.
Longtime Sacred Heart basketball coach Sister Maria Pares began pushing for the new gym in the 1980s. Demert says it has been more than a decade since Sacred Heart had a "home" basketball game.
"To be able to have a home-court advantage for the first time in over 10 years, I can't imagine how powerful that's going to be for our girls," Demert said.
The $3.5 million facility includes a gym with seating for 500, a fitness center, and a dance studio. It is expected to open in March.