In 2000, Georgetown's athletic director unveiled a $22 million proposal to renovate McDonough Gymnasium, modernizing it to serve as a "convocation center" with an improved capability to host both athletic and social events, as well as provide an on-campus basketball venue that meets Big East Conference standards. The proposal involved leaving the building's walls standing and avoiding any increase in its height, and digging down into McDonough's foundation to create a bowl-type basketball arena with a seating capacity of 6,000 to 7,000, with the basketball court rotated 90 degrees from its existing configuration, as well as the construction of a new practice facility adjacent to McDonough. The concept of a new practice center survived, resulting in the construction of the Thompson Center, but no work on McDonough itself took place. The university decided to prioritize other athletics projects in its plans between 2000 and 2010, and did not include the conversion of McDonough into a "convocation center" in its 2010–2020 plan for athletic facility improvements.
