The finishing touches are being applied to the Brownwood High School Multi-Purpose Activity Center, which will be available for all extracurricular activities when the 2025-26 school year begins Tuesday, Aug. 12.
“We have a few more days to get some of the padding up on the inside, but by the end of next week we’ll start utilizing it,” Brownwood ISD Athletic Director Mitch Moore said Friday afternoon during a sneak peek of the facility provided to members of the bond committee. “It will be unofficially open by the end of next week and when school starts we should have full use. It’s very, very close.”
The MAC was approved in a May 2023 bond election, part of $59.5 million in renovations and upgrades taking place at various Brownwood ISD sites.
Brownwood ISD Bond Program manager Tammy Gray said the entire structure, built by Waldrop Construction, is in the neighborhood of 94,000 square feet. The indoor practice portion itself is approximately, 89,900 feet – among the largest in the state of Texas. There’s also a lobby that contains restrooms and storage areas.
“It’s unbelievably big,” Moore said. “Driving by, it’s a big building on the outside, but when you come inside it looks even bigger.”
Along with padding the inside walls, construction continues on the turf area between the MAC and Snodgrass Fitness Center, which has received all new weights among other upgrades.
“The outside turf is just an additional practice area,” Moore said. “Coach (Sammy) Burnett had a part in that design where we can come out of the weight room and have some sled work on the turf. You can have some other drills on the turf outside, too. We thought about putting grass there, but then it could get muddy and you could track that in.”
The inside side of the practice facility is completely turfed, matching the Hellas product that was installed at Gordon Wood Stadium prior to the 2024 football campaign.
“Again, that was one of Coach Burnett’s ideas that we match the fields,” Moore said.
Along with a full length turf football field – which includes 15 yards of sideline for drills – there are roll down goal posts and soccer goals that can be used for practice, along with a platform overlook on the west wall.
“To me that’s one of the coolest things,” Moore said. “I haven’t been up there yet but it’s going to be great to be up there and watch. I think it was a smart design to put that stairwell outside the building to not take up any room on the inside. I know our coaches are ready to get inside here and utilize it. There’s a lot of space and a lot of things that can go on.”
