Seton Catholic Prep has begun construction on a new air conditioning project for McMahon Gymnasium as part of their larger efforts to build a brand-new event center on campus.

“Part of the vision for Seton Catholic includes what our facilities and grounds will look like in 2027 when we celebrate 70 years,” Seton Catholic Principal Victor Serna said. “The community response has been great with over $5 million in grants and donations over the past three years to modernize our campus through various improvement projects. Adding air conditioning to McMahon Gym supports this vision and we are all excited to start the next school year with this becoming a reality by the first day of classes in August.”

This summer’s construction will include the expansion of the mechanical yard, installation of an HVAC unit, the addition of chiller lines from the mechanical yard to the gym and the addition of other infrastructure that will be needed for the larger event center project.

Expected completion is in early August.

Funding for the project has come from generous donations, with an overarching goal to help Seton Catholic build a brand-new multipurpose event center on campus. The center will feature a new gymnasium/event center space for sports and extracurricular activities, added classrooms, and adequate space for celebrations and civic engagement.

Also, Seton Catholic is the recipient of a $132,500 Youth and Amateur Sports Grant from the Arizona Sports & Tourism Authority for the air conditioning unit.

The event center project is part of the larger master building plan at Seton Catholic and includes recent projects such as the installation of lights on the baseball and softball fields, the renovation of 17 classrooms and science labs on the historic campus, renovation of the Monti Library Media Center and Sister Joan Marie Madden Courtyard beautification.

These projects will require, combined, more than $5 million in fundraising.

“Introducing the community to what we’re doing and getting involved at the municipal level is so important to the success of Seton and the overall greater success of our tri-city area of Chandler, Tempe and Mesa,” capital campaign chair Sal Flores said. “These projects and projects like the event center give us a way to showcase the kind of school we have.”

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