St Paul’s College’s new three-storey Marcellin Champagnat Building on Richmond Road in Ponsonby was blessed and officially opened last month.
The Catholic Bishop of Auckland, Patrick Dunn, blessed the new building. It was officially opened by Brother David McDonald, District Leader of the Marist Brothers of New Zealand who had Brother John Fitzgibbon, a Marist Brothers' community member, unveil the building’s plaque. They joined with staff, students, the school’s board and proprietors and other invited dignitaries in the celebratory opening ceremony.
St Paul’s Headmaster, Mr Kieran Fouhy, says: “This new building makes a statement that we are a quality boys’ school, forward looking yet underpinned by 2000-year-old tradition. It’s the most significant development at St Paul’s College since it first opened and is a major investment for the school.”
St Paul’s College’s Board of Trustees recommended the school construct the new building to house the Middle School when they were elected five years ago. It was partially funded by the sale of some unused land on John Street, supplemented by funding from Catholic educational organisations and a $1.2 million donation from the Hugh Green Foundation.
Architectus designed the substantial brick, block and concrete building which was completed on time and under budget by Savory Construction for the start of the 2018 school year. It replaced an older administration block and a building which used to be a Marist Brothers’ residence.