BOSTON ARTS ACADEMY MARKS MAJOR MILESTONE IN CONSTRUCTION OF NEW $125 MILLION FACILITY IN FENWAY
Final steel beam for new school building's structure put in place during topping-off ceremony
BOSTON - Tuesday, February 23, 2021 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, City and state officials, and members of the Boston Arts Academy Foundation, along with Boston Arts Academy (BAA) representatives, today raised the final steel beam into place to complete the structure of the new, $125 million BAA facility on Ipswich Street, directly across the street from Fenway Park.
At a time of great societal change for young people across
the country, construction of this world-class building for Boston's only public
high school for the visual and performing arts serves as a bright, shining
example of the ingenuity and innovation of the Boston Public Schools' vision
for the future. BAA students, faculty and the community at large will reap the
benefits of the expanded space, which will soon open its doors to BAA's rapidly
growing student population.
Led by mistress of ceremonies and BAA student body
president, Anya Edwards, the topping-off ceremony marked a major milestone in
the construction of the new building, transforming the school's previous
facility into a state-of-the-art education institution in the heart of Boston's
ever-expanding, diverse Fenway neighborhood. The building is expected to be
completed by Spring 2022, and will open for students for the 2022-2023 school
year. The new school will accommodate more than 500 students, an increase of
nearly 15% from the current student body.
"This amazing school building will serve future
generations of the most creative, artistic young minds from every neighborhood
of our great city," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "This school is a
shining example of what public education can look like, and is a powerful
demonstration of the City of Boston's commitment to providing every child with
access to an excellent education and a supportive and affirming learning
environment."
"Boston Arts Academy has a long tradition of
cultivating amazingly talented students and providing them with an enriching
and welcoming school community where they can express their creativity and
showcase their incredible art," said Boston Public Schools Superintendent
Brenda Cassellius. "All BPS students deserve beautiful state-of-the-art
facilities like the new Dearborn STEM Academy and the Boston Arts Academy
complex. This one-of-a-kind campus is an example of the facilities needed
across our city so that all our children have the opportunity to thrive in
joyful learning environments. I know the students and our dedicated staff are
thrilled that we are one step closer to their new school opening!"
"This is an important milestone for the Boston Arts
Academy and the entire City of Boston," said State Treasurer Deborah
B. Goldberg, who oversees the
Massachusetts School Building Authority. "BAA
is the only public school in Boston that combines rigorous training
in the visual and performance arts with a strong academic program,
ensuring a path for success for its students in their chosen
fields. The MSBA partners with Boston and local communities
throughout the state, providing resources and support, so more students
have the opportunity to learn in 21st century state-of-the-art facilities
in order to realize their full potential".
Civic and community leaders were on hand to celebrate the
milestone in an outdoor, socially-distanced event that followed all COVID-19
guidelines in place, including Boston Mayor, Martin J. Walsh; Boston City
Council President, Kim Janey; BPS School Committee Chair Alexandra
Oliver-Dávila; BAA Head of School, Anne Clark; BAA Foundation President,
Denella Clark; City of Boston Chief of Operations, Patrick Brophy; Emerson
College President and BAA Foundation Board of Directors Chairman, Lee Pelton;
Lee Kennedy Company President/CEO and BAA Honors Co-Chair, Lee Michael Kennedy;
Massachusetts School Building Authority CEO, Jim MacDonald; and Massachusetts
School Building Authority Deputy CEO and Executive Director, Jack McCarthy.
Boston Arts Academy provides arts-intensive academic
training for students from every neighborhood in Boston. The school's mission
is to prepare a community of aspiring artist-scholar-citizens to be successful
in their college or professional careers as well as engaged members of their
communities. Ninety-seven percent of the school's 2020 graduates were accepted
to college, many becoming the first in their families to do so.
In the days prior to Tuesday's topping-off ceremony, several
BAA students had the opportunity to decorate the beam with their art and write
messages on it offering words of promise and encouragement to the generations
of future students who will learn under the new building's roof. Many BAA
teachers, administrators, school officials, caregivers, alumni, worksite labor
force and community leaders also contributed notes, forever embedding their
messages into the steelwork of the school itself.
"On behalf of the BAA and BPS communities, we are proud of this monumental step in the transformation of this one-of-a-kind school," said Denella Clark, BAA Foundation President. "This building will give our students the chance to learn, explore and dream in a facility worthy of their talents and ambitions. We are grateful to Mayor Walsh and the City, to Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, the BPB, and to our generous supporters who make it possible to provide our students with greater opportunities to further their growth and development as artists, students, and citizens. This unique, long-term investment further shows how important it is for all students in our city to have access to the best facilities that cater to each student's needs and help them thrive personally and academically."
Rendering
of Boston Arts Academy at 174 Ipswich Street, Boston
The new building will expand BAA's space from approximately 121,000 square feet to 153,500 square feet, and it will feature a bold glass façade, theatre marquee, and rooftop green space. The new building will stand five stories tall - an expansion on the previous three - with new and greatly enhanced performance and rehearsal spaces, including a premier 500-seat theater featuring a proscenium stage, a black box theatre, dance studios, music practice rooms, and fashion technology studios and workspaces. These spaces will be outfitted with the latest technologies used by big-name artists and headlining entertainers, thanks to generous donations to the BAA Foundation made by prominent local companies like Avid Technology. The facility will also include a gym and a health and wellness center for students.
Mayor Walsh's $125 million investment in the state-of-the-art facility at the time marked the largest individual school investment under the Walsh Administration. The investment includes $48 million reimbursed by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). In the past several years Mayor Walsh has strengthened the City of Boston's relationship with the MSBA, leveraging reimbursement to the City to support collaborative work with BPS and the Public Facilities Department.
Other BPS facilities projects in development include the new Carter School in the South End, which is currently in design, and the proposed $193 million state-of-the-art Josiah Quincy Upper School building in Chinatown, which is scheduled to begin construction this summer. In addition, the City has been approved for 27 repair projects, resulting in $41 million in reimbursement from the MSBA at various BPS schools since 2015 to create more energy efficient buildings by replacing roofs, windows and boilers.
