BOSTON - State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, Chair of the Massachusetts School Building Authority ("MSBA"), and MSBA Executive Director John K. McCarthy announced today that the MSBA Board of Directors voted to approve a grant of up to $119,706,988 million for an addition/renovation project at Somerville High School located in the City of Somerville. One of the next steps is for the District and the MSBA to enter into a Project Funding Agreement, which details the project’s scope and budget, along with the conditions under which the District will receive its MSBA grant.
"Upon completion, this project will provide a new 21st century learning environment for High School students in Somerville," Treasurer Goldberg said. "Our goal is to create the best space to deliver the District’s educational commitments and goals."
The proposed project would establish 369,496 square feet of educational space, subsequently resulting in co-locating the Career Technical Education programs with the academic programs; and improving functional adjacencies to better address the goals of the educational program and provide a more compact layout that reduces travel time between classes. The addition/renovation would address deficiencies identified by the District including: issues with major building systems including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, technology, fire alarm and emergency power systems and noncompliance with accessibility standards.
"Students will soon have a beautiful new space which will undoubtedly enhance and improve their ability to excel in the classroom," stated Executive Director McCarthy.
The MSBA partners with Massachusetts communities to support the design and construction of educationally appropriate, flexible, sustainable and cost-effective public school facilities. Since its 2004 inception, the Authority has made over 1,750 site visits to more than 250 school districts as part of its due diligence process and has made over $12.4 billion in reimbursements for school construction projects.
