Out with the Old and In with the New: On campus renovations continue with Auditorium-Gymnasium

The Southern University Auditorium-Gymnasium, also known as the Old Woman’s Gymnasium, is currently undergoing renovation due to damages caused by Hurricane Gustav, which touched down in Louisiana in 2008. Hurricane Gustav caused extensive water and roof damages to the Auditorium-Gymnasium, making the focus of the renovations a near complete destruction, and rebuilding.
The renovations will cost Southern about 300,000 dollars, and will include replacing the ceiling, walls and floors of the gymnasium, along with new restrooms and the building’s first air conditioning and heating system. The current estimated date of completion is July 2015.
Endas W. Vincent, system director of Facilities Planning Southern University Systems discussed the possible new uses of the gymnasium after the renovations are completed.
“From my understanding, it’s going to be some type of assembly space because the gymnasium does have a stage in it,” said Vincent. “It may also become a part of the intramural sports complex because they need additional basketball courts.”
“There may be plays in the gymnasium or it may become a movie theater. There are all kinds of options,” added Vincent.
Since the Auditorium-Gymnasium is an existing building and not new, it is up to the University’s administration to determine the new uses of the gymnasium.
Kimberly Butler, senior chemistry pre-medicine major said she thinks the gym should be put back to use again.
“I always knew about this gym since I first came to Southern,” said Jones. “Southern can use the gym to host Southern’s women’s basketball team games or the same way they use Seymour Gym.”
Darrick Starnes, junior electrical electronic technology engineering major from Nashville, TN also agree that Southern should use the gym again.
“I think Southern should use the gym as a women’s sports complex, like before the renovations,” said Starnes. “I heard stories about how the gym used to hold good competitive games at one point.”
The Auditorium-Gymnasium, located behind the J.S. Clark Administrative building, was built in 1928 and is considered a part of the historical buildings on Southern University Baton Rouge’s campus. The Auditorium-Gymnasium’s last use was as the Intramural Sports building. Although the gymnasium was declared vacant before Hurricane Gustav, it was completely shut down after the damages. The Intramural Sports Complex building currently in use was built in 2013 in near the Pavilion and Camille Shade Hall student dorms.
The Auditorium-Gymnasium is considered to be one of the 85 buildings on the SUBR campus to obtain damages during Hurricane Gustav.