Construction of the Fountain Hills High School Falcons Nest is underway and, according to the Fountain Hills Athletic Booster Club (FHABC), the project is moving along well thanks to the support of many members of the community.

The Falcons Nest is a student-inspired facility for leisure and athletic development being built at the high school. The goal is for this room, converted from a storage area in the gym, to be completed by the first home football game of 2020.

“We have been blessed with some amazing sponsorships,” said Erin O’Brien, president of the FHABC. “Besides the incredible financial support from the Verne C. Johnson Family Foundation, so many of our community members have given of their time and talent. In fact, several Fountain Hills businesses have already provided much of the labor at no charge.”

One such donation of time and resources for the Falcons Nest came from Vincent Barbagallo, CEO of Barbagallo Electric Company.

“I love this town and have cherished living here the past 15 years,” Barbagallo said. “My two daughters have attended our wonderful high school all four years and greatly enjoyed their time, especially playing varsity volleyball. This is the least I can do to give back to a high school that has provided so much joy to my family.”

Employees of Barbagallo Electric Company have recently spent a day tethering the old lights up to move forward with the demolition of the room. They will be returning during the middle of the project and spend several days wiring all of the new lights, as well as providing electrical support for every outlet and wall charger.

In addition, a special team is working on all of the interior decorating that will be required.

“It is so meaningful to spend time focusing on procuring just the right furniture for this exciting new facility,” said Dr. Ann Langer, FHABC secretary. “We have a great team, including a professional interior designer, selecting just the right sofas, chairs, tables, cabinets and every other piece of furniture that is desired. All the furnishings will be brand new, which our outstanding student athletes and coaches truly deserve."

The Falcons Nest will be comprised of two main areas, including a “Coaches Corner” and “Achievement Lounge.” The Coach’s Corner will accommodate seating for 33 players and include equipment for watching film, going over strategies and the like. The Achievement Lounge will include sofas, tables, chairs, a couple of foosball tables and a Falcon-themed corn hole game. This area will enable student athletes to do homework, play video games or socialize with other students before practices.

Other sponsors who are donating much of the labor include Phil Gollon, architect for ARC Services Inc, and Vladimir Dobrilovic, Arizona Air Conditioning Control LLC, who is working on the AC/HVAC. Vicki Morrison is the designer. Additionally, Amanda Boss, Cabinet & Stone, is donating all of the cabinets and counter tops at no cost.

“Many additional sponsors are coming onboard as we start to build and refine our thinking of how this room should be completed,” O’Brien said.