The Barron Center for Arts & Recreation
Goal: $45 million
Fairfield Prep’s incredible alumni are indisputable evidence of the success of Prep’s care for the whole boy. Yet there’s always been the dream of more space, the right kinds of space, in which to engage our students on multiple levels.
In Prep’s entire history, we have never had our own gymnasium—with our own logo at center court and our championship banners hanging from the rafters. Our theatre productions have to be built, performed, and taken down in a matter of days. There’s nowhere on our own corner of campus that can hold the entire student body for Mass or a concert, or a place to just hang out and shoot hoops with friends.
But with your help, the new 47,627-square-foot Barron Center for Arts and Recreation is about to change all of that.
Features
- 47,000+ square feet
- Gymnasium devoted to Fairfield Prep Athletics
- Three basketball courts, three batting cages, and one competition court for basketball and wrestling
- 4,500 square-foot state-of-the-art strength and conditioning center
- Dedicated erg/cardio room
- Coaches’ meeting rooms
- Separate event entrance
- Locker room that can accommodate all 35 athletic teams
- New band space, including two practice rooms
- Music technology classroom
Opportunities to Support the Barron Center
Strength & Conditioning Center
Nearly double the size of our previous facilities, the new Strength and Conditioning Center will allow entire teams to train together at the same time. The space will also include an expanded erg room to accommodate our sizable crew team.
Gymnasium
For the first time in the school’s history, Prep’s students will have their very own regulation-size home court and a venue that can hold the school’s entire student body. With the ability to divide the space into three smaller courts, the facility will provide students with the ideal spot for intramurals, afterschool pickup games, and other activities. Batting cages and an area for wrestling matches will round out the gymnasium’s amenities.
Black Box Theatre
By providing students with their own dedicated stage, the new black box theatre will transform the theatre program at Fairfield Prep, allowing for more frequent or longer-running shows, simplifying set construction, and expanding curricular possibilities in the performing arts. With a maximum capacity of 200+, an entire Prep class will be able to assemble in the theatre for programs and presentations.
Enhanced Athletics Facilities
Enhanced athletics facilities will include a new locker room with upgraded bathrooms, reconfigured lockers, and a coach’s suite, as well as the addition of training facilities and a visitor’s locker room—giving our athletes a true place to call home.
Enhanced Visual and Performing Arts Facilities
The arts explore the core of what it means to be human and greatly enrich our boys’ experience at Fairfield Prep. The newly enhanced visual and performing arts facilities, which will be located on the first floor of Arrupe Hall in proximity to the theatre, will include a band/orchestra classroom with two recording studio rooms, a music tech classroom with 17 student stations, a visual arts studio, and a performing arts classroom.
Barron Center Founders’ Club
The Founders’ Club is a prestigious and distinguished group that represents the highest level of philanthropy dedicated to supporting the Barron Center for Arts & Recreation at Fairfield Prep. The primary mission of the Founders’ Club is to serve as a driving force behind Prep’s endeavor to provide today and tomorrow’s young men with the facilities necessary for students to achieve greatness in their athletic and artistic pursuits, while developing the conscience, competence, compassion, and commitment characteristic of a Fairfield Prep man.
Giving Levels and Benefits
In gratitude and recognition of their generous multi-year support, members may receive a number of exclusive benefits:
VICTORY | $250,000+ ($50,000+ annually)
PRIDE | $100,000 ($20,000 annually)
PREP | $50,000 ($10,000 annually)
Thank you to our Founders’ Club Members
VICTORY ($250,000+)
PRIDE ($100,000-$249,999)
PREP ($50,000-$99,999)
We don’t have a gym where we can proudly display our championship and all-state banners recognizing the incredible accomplishments that our student athletes have achieved over 83 years. The same is true for the arts. To have a black box theatre right here that the boys can easily access to participate in and witness the fine work being done. These facilities are absolutely critical to supporting those programs.
Tom Shea ’73, P’08,’11
For more information on Barron Center funding priorities and naming opportunities, please contact:
Colleen Claflin
Associate Vice President for Advancement
cclaflin@fairfieldprep.org
Dave Houghton P’17,’19
Director of Alumni & Family Engagement
dhoughton@fairfieldprep.org