Thanks to a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant, the Purcell Junior High School will be getting a new gymnasium and the town of Purcell will be getting a community safe room.

The $3,044,447.13 grant will be to construct a new community shelter in the form of a gymnasium at the junior high.

That was the word from Purcell Superintendent Dr. Sheli McAdoo.

“We are incredibly grateful for this FEMA grant,” Dr. McAdoo said. “This new gymnasium will not only serve as a valuable educational resource for our students, but it will also function as a safe haven for our community during times of disaster.”

The grant was awarded through a competitive process based on a special FEMA program that provides 90 percent reimbursement of eligible building costs for approved community shelter projects.

Purcell Public Schools will contribute the remaining 10 percent of the basic project cost of $338,271.90. The district has planned to add amenities to the gymnasium to make it competition-ready, such as wood flooring, bleachers, dressing rooms and a concession area.

This will increase the district’s cost but will yield an area that will provide far-reaching benefits, Dr. McAdoo reported.

The new gymnasium will be designed to meet FEMA’s strict criteria for community shelters, ensuring it can withstand severe weather events and provide critical amenities to residents in need.

The project is being spearheaded by Senior Project Achitect Kirk Mackey of the CWA Group in Norman. CWA does architecture and interiors.

The proposed safe room building has 8,521 gross square feet. It to be located on the southeast lawn of the recently constructed junior high school building.

The building’s construction features reinforced concrete walls poured in insulated forms, door protection walls, reinforced concrete roof and tornado resistant doors to safely house 877 shelter occupants.

It will also feature an emergency backup power system and emergency ventilation system, in the event of a power outage.

Two parking spaces have been proposed directly to the west of the addition for persons in wheelchairs access close to the entrance.

Aesthetically, the building will feature a brick veneer facade in combination with a stucco exterior insulation and finish system facade similar to the existing junior high.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Superintendent Sheli McAdoo, the Board of Education, and Assistant Superintendent Jerry Swayze during the design, FEMA/OEM application and funding process,” Mackey said.

“As the architect, we look forward to bringing the safe room building into fruition,” he concluded.