St. Aug’s renovated Rigaud Center rises from fire

by Kim Roberts

By Kim Roberts
Clarion Herald

St. Augustine High School held a ribbon cutting Oct. 17 to celebrate the completion of the Rigaud Health and Wellness Center, built in 14 months, to replace the gym that fell victim to a fire that engulfed the building on Nov. 25, 2021.

The new facility was built at the same location, at the corner of George “Nick” Connor Drive and Hope Street in New Orleans.

Since the ribbon cutting was held during homecoming week, many alums were in attendance in addition to U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, State Sen. Royce Duplessis and New Orleans City Councilman Eugene Green.

“The Rigaud Center has a state-of-the-art weight room, brand new lockers and locker rooms available for varsity basketball and varsity football teams and a visitor’s locker room now,” said Mel Cordier, St. Augustine High School’s director of communications. “Also, we have offices and conference rooms and a nutrition station. It’s a beautiful, amazing project.”

A team effort

Cordier said school president Aulston Taylor was the driving force behind finding the generous foundations, organizations and individuals who were willing to contribute to making the center a reality.

“It’s been a yeoman’s effort by President Taylor to see this project to completion,” Cordier said. “We are blessed that he was able to spearhead the project and find our marquee alumni and benefactor, Edwin Rigaud, a 1961 graduate, who was the largest individual contributor to this project. The center bears his name.”

The Rigaud Center has the same square footage as the original gym, with every square inch of the facility maximized to its fullest potential.

“We knocked down walls and opened up new areas, but we could only do so much within a square block,” Cordier said. “So, we built up instead of out.”

In welcoming graduates and supporters to the completed facility, Taylor said it was amazing what a transformed, 53-year-old building looks like now.

“The 33,760 square feet of dynamic space will do exactly what it did 50, 40, 30, 20 and even just three years ago, but with more innovation, greater quality and state-of-the-art products,” Taylor said. “I’d like to thank all of you for being here today, especially the Josephite fathers and brothers, for your unwavering commitment to serving and educating the young men who elect to become Purple Knights.”

To date, only a small fraction of the student body has seen the facility, which is expected to have its finishing touches completed by December. But, the building will be available to the students to use in the next few weeks.

“By the grace of God, most of the students who are at the school now were not here at the time when we suffered damage from the fire (because it happened during Thanksgiving break),” Cordier said. “Now they’re able to see it before they graduate and have the opportunity to enjoy all that it has to offer.”

Hope for the future

Speaking on behalf of her father Edwin Rigaud, Simone Rigaud expressed her family’s hope that the center will be a place not only for those fortunate enough to attend St. Augustine to utilize and enjoy but will also be a beacon for the community in New Orleans.

“This is a center of hope with resources and support to build the whole person, mind, body and spirit,” she said. “We are so very honored and proud to represent our roots and have the opportunity to give back. It is an honor, privilege and duty that should never be wasted.”

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