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City monitoring availability of adjacent St. Anne—s building but not ready to make an offer
Summary
Committee members asked about acquiring a vacant Archdiocese property adjacent to Winter Hill as a potential way to expand school capacity. City staff said the Archdiocese remains in discussions with multiple parties and the city is not positioned to make an offer while MSBA feasibility work continues.
Councilors and school committee members raised the vacant St. Anne—s school building on Thurston Street as a potential site to expand capacity adjacent to Winter Hill. Committee members said acquiring the property could allow a larger footprint while avoiding taller construction.
City staff said they continue to have conversations with the Archdiocese and that the property owner has been talking with multiple parties. Staff said the city is not yet prepared to make an offer because MSBA site-selection work and feasibility studies remain in progress and timing is a factor.
Chair Jesse Klingen and school committee members urged continuing exploration but noted that any acquisition will have fiscal implications for purchase, demolition or retrofit. One councilor said that acquiring the property would be "a tremendous" way to add outdoor space and capacity but cautioned that it would increase total project cost and should be included as part of the city's analysis going into the feasibility study.
