Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public High School
Owner: Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public High School
Contact: Steve Donaghy
Contractor: Consigli Construction Co., Inc.
Area: 149,000 square feet
Completion Date: Summer 2009
Having outgrown its existing facilities, and looking to expand its curriculum to include grades 9–12, the Abby Kelley Foster Charter School, one of the largest charter schools in Massachusetts, commissioned Regent Associates to assist in exploring options for a new high school building. Regent Associates identified an unoccupied former office and manufacturing building only a few hundred yards from the current campus, which could be easily renovated and provides all of the required amenities.
Approximately 96,000 square feet of the building was renovated, providing 22 classrooms, a global education lecture hall, 440-seat auditorium, full-size gymnasium, exercise studio, cafeteria with full food preparation facility, music instruction and practice rooms, computer and science laboratories, faculty offices, and a host of additional spaces designed to enhance the educational experience of both students and faculty. An additional 53,000 square feet was left unfinished, set aside for future use as needs arise.
The project was completed on time and on budget, in spite of the significant amount of hazardous materials discovered during construction, which had to be mitigated.