By Adam Swift
Renovations to the Revere History Museum could be completed by the end of the current school year.
Monday night, the city council approved the use of $50,000 in Community Improvement Trust (CIT) funds to help pay for the completion of the work.
“Over the past two years, the City has been working with the Northeast Metro Tech High School to update the Revere History Museum,” stated city finance director Richard Viscay. “”They have converted the outdated knob and tube electrical system to standard electrical and installed an HVAC system to promote climate control to better preserve the historic artifacts contained at this site.”
Complementing the electrical and HVAC work, the plumbing and carpentry departments from the school have assisted in supporting the installations.
Viscay said the CIT money is needed because there is some additional work that exceeds the time allotted by the Voke that will need to be contracted out.
That money will help ensure the Revere Society of Cultural and Historical Preservation may begin to reclaim the facility and reset the exhibits in order to reopen to the public this summer.
“It’s really just a small fraction of the total cost of the improvements that have been made,” said Planning and Community Development Director Tom Skwierawski. “We are really grateful for the support of the Voke, who have been providing labor on this project in kind. Without their support, this would have been hundreds of thousands of dollars, but instead, this evening we are just asking for $50,000 to complete the work in this school year so that the museum will be ready to open to the public again.”
Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky said it was a great use of CIT funds and that he was glad to see the city supplying funds to bring the museum up to date.
Councillor-at-Large Marc Silvestri praised the efforts of the vocational school and its students for their work on the project.
“It’s nice to have a landmark that was saved,” said Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna. “It’s a really great place and it is nice to have it preserved.”
