Mercy High School breaks ground on multimillion-dollar athletic center

(KRON) — Mercy High School in Burlingame has embarked on a $27 million project to build its first-ever athletic and student life center, marking a significant milestone for the school.

The new facilities will include a gymnasium and a regulation pool, which are much-needed additions for the all-girls Catholic school. Currently, students must travel up to 20 miles to use other schools’ facilities for sports practices and games.

“Of course, this is a monumental moment for Mercy High, but today is more,” said Head of School Natalie Cirigliano Brosnan. “Today is a moment to celebrate equitable opportunities for the young women of Mercy, and to celebrate a win for all girls’ education.”

The construction site was blessed on the final day of summer break, with students, faculty, staff, supporters, and alumni gathering on campus to witness the event. The new center is expected to enhance the school’s athletic programs significantly.

About 76% of the student body participates in at least one sport, and having a home court is seen as empowering for the students. “Playing on a court with our logo is just like really empowering,” said one student. Another added, “Being on the volleyball team and having to play at different courts, it means a lot that we would have a home court.”

The project has been made possible by several large donations, but the school still needs to raise an additional one million dollars before the year is up. The community is hopeful that the new facilities will provide a more enriching experience for current and future students.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.