Students at Damien High School will soon have a new space to exercise their athletic abilities as well as showcase their creative talents and be a location for community events. Ground was broken last month for a new $4.8 million gymnasium which is expected to be completed in the fall of 2005.

At the request of the major donor for the project, the gymnasium will be named the Travers-Cronin Athletic Center in honor of the leadership by Sacred Hearts Fathers Patrick Travers, principal, and Peadar Cronin, vice principal, who together have given more than 76 years of service to the La Verne school.

The groundbreaking marks the culmination of seven years of fund raising and architectural design work for the project. It's the latest phase of a long-term goal that Father Travers has had for the campus, which has evolved over the past two decades.

Also scheduled for inclusion in the project is the renovation of the original gymnasium. Built in the 1930s, the old gym will be renovated as a fitness center.