MSBA Board Votes Briscoe Middle School in Beverly into Schematic Design Phase

State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, Chair of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), and Jack McCarthy, MSBA Executive Director, announced today that the MSBA Board of Directors voted to move the Briscoe Middle School to the Schematic Design phase. In the Schematic Design phase, Beverly and the MSBA will look at possible options to replace the existing Briscoe Middle School and Memorial Building, with a new facility that would serve grades five through eight on the existing Memorial Building site. The next step is for the MSBA to work in collaboration with the District to produce detailed designs for a potential school project.

“Thanks to our partnership with local officials in the City of Beverly, we are working to build a modern educational facility,” said Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. “The Briscoe Middle School project will provide the City’s students with a top-notch learning environment.”  

The proposed project would create a new 233,265 square foot facility serving 1,395 students. Briscoe Middle School was built in 1923 and suffers from deficiencies in major building systems including electrical, mechanical, plumbing and roof.

“Production and approval of a schematic design will help us to determine the final budget for the potential project,” Executive Director McCarthy said.

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 1,500 site visits to more than 250 school districts as part of its due diligence process and has made over $11.2 billion in reimbursements for school construction projects.