Trade School Relocation Moving Forward

It appears that in eleven months or so, North Bennet Street School will have all the paperwork signed and its design prepared and should be able to move into its new place of business on North Street.

The longtime North End Trade School, once it is said and done, will move into the old City of Boston Printing Plant and Police Station.

A ten million dollar renovation proposal is on the drawing board to connect the two City owned properties located partially on Richmond Street.

A complicated property exchange with the City, more specifically, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), needs to be finalized within the next few weeks in order to get the official move made to North Street.

The move will allow the Eliot School located on Charter Street, to relocate classrooms to North Bennet Street opening the doors for more student seats at the popular school which has been characterized as one of, if not the best public school in Boston.

Actually, NBBS needs to design, build and move the facility within less than a year before the 2013 school year begins.

Current plans call for the first floor to house bookbinding and preservation carpentry space. The second floor will have jewelry making, locksmithing, violin repair and carpentry classes.

Rooms for piano technology and furniture making will fill the third floor, according to the school’s President Miguel Gomez-Ibanez, who has faithfully kept the neighborhood advised of the potential move.

Back in May the City agreed to the swap of the surplus brick buildings on North Street to the tune of $11.4 million.

NBSS has moved two of its classes to Arlington a while ago because of lack of space at the non-profit facility.

Many North End residents who have children already in the Eliot School and numerous others attempting to have their children placed in the popular Charter Street School rallied for the swap.

Both community groups NEWRA and NEWNC supported the efforts.

Boston City Councilor Sal LaMattina, State Representative Aaron Michlewitz and Senator Anthony Petruccelli worked with all parties involved to make the change a reality. However, the word from City Hall is that Mayor Thomas M. Menino took matters in his own hands and made the deal and move possible.