Site cleared to make way for new Campbell Convocation Center

     Construction crews began clearing a site on the Campbell University campus this week in preparation for the proposed John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center.
     The 109,020 ft. structure will be located at the intersection of Main Street and Leslie Campbell Avenue. It will house the 3,000 seat Gilbert Craig Gore Arena, a Sports Hall of Fame lobby, hospitality suite, practice gymnasium, wrestling practice room, as well as basketball-volleyball-wrestling offices and locker rooms. There will also be a 5,000 square foot student fitness center with a stand alone entrance for student convenience.
     Two homes on the proposed site, the McLeod House, which recently housed Admissions and Financial Aid offices, and the Reardon House, home to International Admissions, were demolished to accommodate the new building. Both homes had been made available for sale, but because of age and structural additions could not be moved safely.
     Campbell’s Vice President for Business Jim Roberts said clearing the site of all above ground obstructions is the first step in a 22 month construction plan.
     “Once the trees are removed, the fence will be finished across the front of the property. Then we can begin on the foundation,” he said.
     A soil erosion control plan has already been installed around the grounds, per state regulations.
     According to Roberts, over the next couple of months, crews will begin digging the foundation and placing underground piping and utility lines.
     The $30 million dollar John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center is expected to be completed by September of 2008. However, Roberts says adverse weather can impact the construction process.
     “This winter is actually the most important for us,” he said. “Because this winter is when we’re going to pour the slab.”
     The John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center is named for the late John W. Pope Jr., who passed away in March 2004. Pope was a 1975 graduate of Campbell University and a staunch supporter of his alma mater.
     The Center will house the Gilbert Craig Gore Arena, named in memory of the late son of Edward and Dinah Gore, of Sunset Beach, N.C.

Photo Copy: Construction crews clear debris from the site of the proposed John W.. Pope Jr. Convocation Center.