City official Julie DeMauro of the Planning and Community Department saved the best news for last at the Reimagining the McKinley School community presentation meeting.
“I think at the end of all of this, we’re really going to have a great community space that’s going to be widely used by the whole community, so we’re very excited,†DeMauro told residents at the conclusion of the meeting held May 10 at the Hill Elementary School.
The City of Revere and Mass Development are collaborating with Studio Luz Architects to repurpose the building for [early childhood care and community] education, creating networks of economic mobility, providing space for entrepreneurship to thrive, supporting work-force training, and be a community asset for seasonal art and performance events, according to the flyer announcing the meeting.
The McKinley School was closed in 2015 upon the opening of the nearby, brand-new Hill Elementary School.
At the outset of the meeting, DeMauro noted the wide representation of city officials and residents at the meeting including Mayor Brian Arrigo, Supt. of Schools Dr. Dianne Kelly, Director of Curriculum Joanna Rizzo, Councillor-at-Large Marc Silvestri, Ward 4 Councillor Patrick Keefe, Revere Chief Financial Officer Richard Viscay, Director of Planning and Community Tech Leng, and School Committee members John Kingston, Stacy Rizzo, and Michael Ferrante.
Studio Luz’s McKinley School project manager Elise Zilius and designer and community engagement liaison Sophie Nahrmann presented the findings of the community survey and the space-planning proposals for the school.
According to Zilius, the top three responses from the for the use of the McKinley School building were community education space, early education spaces, and performing arts and gallery spaces.
Plans were also announced for maintaining the existing outdoor basketball court, and adding a playground that would be used for the early education center and a community garden space to promote healthy food options.
Residents also indicated that they would like to see “a lobby that is bright and welcoming and a hub for information.â€
Also potentially slated for the first floor would be early education and childcare classrooms, principals’ offices, and community classrooms with a dedicated childcare room. The building and restrooms would have ADA accessibility for the entire building.
The second floor would be dedicated to early education and childcare. The third floor is being visioned as a performing arts community venue and space that would seat 50 people for performances.
Councillor Keefe is excited about McKinley School project
Ward 4 Councillor Patrick Keefe, in whose ward that McKinley School stands, said he is excited about the school’s rebuilding process.
“I’m super excited that we are embarking on the repurposing of the McKinley School,†said Keefe. “The city’s needs for more are and theater space is a perfect match for the historic site, and the expanded needs for early childhood education become extremely important in our community of hard-working families. This is a huge win for Revere, and I’m thrilled to be part of the reimagining team.â€
