New Ballet group seeks to buy Humes school, says $50 million needed to convert building into performing-arts campus

New Ballet Ensemble and School outlined a plan to acquire the vacant Humes school and convert it into Memoirs, a 6–12 performing-arts and technology school that would open with about 60–70 sixth-graders and grow to roughly 410–500 students.

The group’s founder, Katie Smythe, told the board the project must secure real estate this summer to be competitive for new-market tax credits. “We need an agreement or to purchase the building as is for $218,000, so that we can obtain this building,” Smythe said during the presentation. She later said the group estimates a $50,000,000 investment will be required to transform Humes into a performing-arts and technology school.

Why it matters: The proposal tries to pair private fundraising and federal/state incentives with a school model the presenters say would serve students countywide while sustaining…