Pardon Our Dust: Progress Update
This summer, although the campus was not bustling with student activity, one thing remained constant - construction. The two most significant campus improvements, the Our Lady of Belen Chapel and the Roberto C. Goizueta Innovation Center, kicked construction into high gear.
The Innovation Center is weeks away from completion and will be instrumental in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics) education at Belen. The 8,000 square foot space will open under its new name, Roberto C. Goizueta Innovation Center, and will include the gym, locker rooms, and a fully renovated lobby on the first floor. The second floor will be a mix between a traditional classroom, a maker space, a science lab, and a STEAM Center.
The Our Lady of Belen Chapel has seen tremendous construction advancement over the last few weeks, including the roof deck of the Sacristy. Currently, the crews are working on the Chapel structure, the rough electrical and plumbing. The chapel is scheduled to be completed on time before the end of the school year.
Additional campus improvement projects took place over the summer.
- Four classrooms were completely renovated. These classrooms feature modern designs and furniture. Each classroom is entirely different. The goal is to ask our students and teachers for their feedback and ultimately use that information to update all classrooms on campus.
- The tile on the first floor of the main building was removed and replaced with finished concrete. The old lockers in the middle section were also removed.
- A new clinic was added adjacent to the Dining Hall. This new facility will house our school nurse and includes 545 square feet with its own ADA restroom.
- New trees and plants were added throughout the campus, most notably in the Arroyo Quad and St. Joseph’s Patio.
- A lifetime giving plaque was added in the lobby of the Administration building. The Ignatian Society acknowledges those who have given lifetime gifts of $100,000 and more to Belen Jesuit.
- All air conditioners on campus were outfitted with UV light filters, which reduce allergens, mold, bacteria, and viruses in the air.
- Mobile hand sanitizer stands will be placed in the Dining Hall, Main Office, Administration Building reception area, and throughout campus. All classrooms will have their wall-mounted hand sanitizer dispensers refilled as necessary and have sanitation supplies on hand for regular cleaning of desks between blocks.
- Other COVID-10 related safety additions and enhancements include:
- Hands-free water bottle refill stations throughout campus
- Informational signage has been added throughout the campus.
These projects wouldn’t be happening if it weren’t for the generosity of many people. We continue to strive for greatness and need your help in achieving our goal. If you would like to make a major gift towards the "For the Greater Glory' campaign and contribute to the vision of the school, please contact Phil Fernandez ’94 at ffernandez@belenjesuit.org or call him at 305-804-7683.
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.