All-Girls School Plans to Redesign Facilities to Accommodate Student Athletes

“We are incredibly excited to have taken this step in pursuing the highest priority of our campus master plan,” said Carondelet High School President Bonnie Cotter. “This property will enable us to provide our young women and our school with high-quality outdoor athletic fields and enable us to expand our programming, community outreach and summer offerings.”

Recognizing that the 43-year-old club is beloved by many active members and neighbors, Carondelet looks forward to developing relationships with the community to explore ways the facility can continue to serve as a resource during the transition of ownership, site improvement and renovation, and long-term in ways compatible with school use.

Currently Carondelet’s campus is situated on one of the smallest parcels of land of any top-quality high school in the Bay Area. It has no outdoor athletic fields or facilities on its campus, despite the fact that 65 percent of its student body participates in sports and competes at a highly competitive level.

Already home to Carondelet’s tennis team, ClubSport Valley Vista is situated on 6.5 acres of land at the base of Mt. Diablo on the east side of Walnut Creek. It has 19 tennis courts, a seven-lane swimming pool and a 5,000-square-foot clubhouse, which includes an exercise facility with cardio machines and free weights, group fitness workout rooms and a childcare facility.

“We are delighted to have Carondelet High School take ownership of the Valley Vista property. It was important to Leisure Sports to have the right buyer. Carondelet has been a valuable long term partner in the local community. This acquisition will enhance the overall educational and development experience for the students while at the same time providing recreational partnering opportunities with the community,” said Leisure Sports, Inc. Chief Financial Officer Patrick O’Brien.

To maximize this property for a variety of its athletic teams, Carondelet plans to seek approval from the City of Walnut Creek to create a state-of-the-art sports complex by replacing some of the older tennis courts with a soccer/lacrosse field and a softball field.

Carondelet and Leisure Sports are currently in the process of due diligence and expect the deal to close soon. Carondelet will fund this purchase through its 50th Anniversary campaign.

Carondelet has been seeking additional land for its athletic teams for over a year as this was identified as a critical need and, therefore, became a top priority in the school’s strategic plan. Because the campus is land-locked, the school cannot reasonable expand adjacently beyond its current boundaries.

“A new outdoor sports complex would provide our students with a real “˜home field advantage’ ““ a place to build camaraderie and the sense of community and sisterhood, which should be an integral part of the Carondelet experience for all our students,” said Mrs. Cotter.