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Elevated Gymnasium Approved at Ferdinand T. Day School

By James Cullum
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The Alexandria City Council on Saturday unanimously approved the construction of an elevated gymnasium at Ferdinand T. Day School in the West End.

“The gymnasium at Ferdinand T. Day looks cool,” Alexandria City Councilman Canek Aguirre said. “I’m excited to see that move forward.”

Construction of the 55-foot-tall, 8,709-square-foot addition is slated to begin this summer and be completed by spring 2021. The gymnasium would take up 4,762 square feet and also be used for school assemblies. The addition includes office space, storage and restrooms.

Since the initial project was approved in 2016 and amended last year, the addition will be built to achieve LEED Silver instead of adhering to the city’s Net Zero policy, which went into effect on March 2.

According to a city staff report, there will be two points of entry into the gym from the third floor of the school and the gym will be supported by 12 columns in a parking garage.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.