The Junius Ward Johnson Memorial YMCA in Vicksburg, Mississippi has been serving Vicksburg, Mississippi since 1923. The historic structure was built and gifted to the citizens of Vicksburg by Fannie Willis Johnson as a memorial to her late husband, Junius Ward Johnson.
Last year the YMCA started a $4 million renovation project to upgrade the existing building and build a new gym for basketball, pickle ball, day camp programs, and other activities.
Although the project brings many new opportunities to the local community, adding a gym to an historic building can also bring some unique challenges.
“We had to be careful about how we accessed the site and not to disrupt any of the existing building,” said Tania Hahn, president of Hahn Enterprises, a New Orleans-based Draper® gym equipment dealer. “We needed to avoid any possible damage to the original building and also allow it to still be used by the local community.”
To help with easier and safer site access, and because of the attachment height, Draper provided bolt-together versions of our TF-20 forward folding basketball backstops for the main court.
To make the best use of overhead space, the side courts were provided with bolt-together versions of the TF-20S backstop, which has a bent main stem, so less room is needed over the volleyball and other courts. Height adjusters were also provided to allow for multiple age groups.
The facility is designed for multiple uses, so the basketball backstops can be raised up to the ceiling when required and a Combination Volleyball System brought in.
Draper and Hahn also outfitted the gym with EcoVision™ wall pads to make it as safe an environment as possible.
“We were pleased with the way this project turned out,” said Hahn. “And, as the mayor said, ‘we hope that as a result of [the new gym] no child who wants to attend our summer day camp or holiday camp will be turned away!’”
To learn more about the Junius Ward Johnson Memorial YMCA, click here.
For more information on Hahn Enterprises, Inc., click here.
To find the right Draper solution for your new gym, click here.
