Loyola Breaks Ground

LOYOLA BREA KS GROUND

Board members join others from the Loyola community during the 1901 Venice Boulevard groundbreaking.

AFTER YEARS OF THOUGHTFUL PLANNING, forward-thinking design decisions and very generous support from our donors, the 1901 Venice Boulevard Project is fast becoming a reality. On June 11, members of the Board of Directors, Loyola administration, the Alumni Association, Loyola staff, the construction project team and donors were on hand to put shovels in the ground on what will be the new southwestern gateway to our campus.

With more than 100 guests attending, Loyola Board Chairman Rick Caruso led the ceremonial groundbreaking celebration that kicked off the 18-month construction project, scheduled for completion in late 2020.

“Thanks to the 1901 Venice Boulevard Project, we will not only build Caruso Hall—the reimagined Xavier Center, which will better serve our entire community—but also will transform Hayden Circle to welcome all of Los Angeles to Loyola as well as add a Veterans’ Memorial to pay homage to past and future Cub veterans,” said Fr. Gregory M. Goethals, SJ ’73.

LOYOLA BREA KS GROUND

IT’S NOT EVERY DAY that 30 cement trucks are seen driving into Loyola High School. But that’s exactly what happened on a warm Friday morning when the deck was poured for the new Caruso Hall. After years of planning, Caruso Hall is beginning to take its place as one of the three centerpiece buildings at Hayden Circle, alongside Loyola and Ruppert Halls.

The last time Loyola High School saw this much construction was well over 13 years ago when the William H. Hannon Science Hall and the Frank J. Ardolf, Jr. ’33 and Frances R. Ardolf Academic Hall were erected. Senior Director of Facilities Management Michael McDermott witnessed that project as well.

“Just as with Hannon/Ardolf, we purposely used the same architects, Killefer Flammang Architects, so that the new buildings would evoke the east coast, neo-Gothic look the school already has,” said Mr. McDermott. “The design speaks for itself. It’s going to make Loyola look even more like a college campus.”

The look is intentional. Just ask Principal Frank Kozakowski. “The unifying theme of our buildings sets an educational tone of being among the best colleges and universities,” he said. “We’re putting our students in an environment of high standards, and that’s exactly what we expect from them.”

In the meantime, students eagerly watch as a 185-foot crane lifts five to 10 tons of steel and Caruso Hall begins to take shape. It will welcome its first guests in late 2020 and proudly stand for generations to come.