Renovation of former Booker T. Washington High gym celebrated

An official city gathering Wednesday afternoon recognizing the completed renovation of the former Booker T. Washington High School gymnasium and anticipating the exciting future of the facility ended with a moment honoring the past.

The gymnasium, which opened in 1952 off Carolina Avenue northeast of downtown, was renovated at a cost of slightly more than $1.76 million and was paid for by municipal general funds. The Rocky Mount City Council, in a June 10 meeting, unanimously approved the project.

The renovation included the installation of an air-conditioning and heating system, new lights, new windows with the frosted effect, a remodeled front entrance with remodeled restrooms, new wooden floors that came in sections, a new scoreboard and new bleachers placed on the east side.

Mayor Sandy Roberson emphasized that this is more than just a ribbon cutting.

“It’s a homecoming. It’s a celebration. It’s a restoration of pride in a place that has shaped generations in the city of Rocky Mount,” Roberson said.

Roberson also emphasized that the gymnasium is not just bricks and wood.

“It’s a living landmark. It holds memories. It holds milestones — and it echoes of dreams of the past and of the future,” Roberson said.