Education

Renovations Under Way on Former North Bennet Street School for Boston’s Eliot Upper School

Eliot School before

Former North Bennet St. school

Colantonio GC

Boston – Colantonio Inc, a general contracting firm based in Holliston, has begun an $18.7 million, 22-month renovation of the former North Bennet Street School (NBSS), in the heart of the north end, for the future Eliot Upper School.

The project is part of Boston Public Schools’ expansion plan for the Eliot K-8 Innovation School, which has grown from 150 K-5 students in 2007 to 500 K-8 students in 2014.  NBSS will be ready for  third, fourth, and fifth graders in the fall of 2016.  The other two locations — 16 Charter Street and 585 Commercial Street – will serve students in grades K-2 and 6-8 respectively.

The historic four-story masonry and wood-framed building will be completely gutted.  Colantonio will execute a complex shoring plan to support the exterior while the interior is demolished.

The new space will feature modern classrooms, a cafeteria, kitchen, computer labs, a multipurpose room, and media center.

Exterior changes include masonry repair and repointing, new windows, new doors, and a new public entrance where the former NBSS gallery existed.

The project team includes: Finegold Alexander + Associates, architect; Boston Building Consultants, structural engineer; R.W. Sullivan, MEP/FP engineer; Bryant Associates, civil engineer; McPhail Associates, geotechnical engineer; and R.F. Freel Associates, structural engineer for temporary shoring.