Six-Acre Purchase Paves Way For New Worcester Academy Performance Center

7/1/2015

Worcester Academy Board of Trustees President Henry Dormitzer '88 today announced that Worcester Academy had completed a purchase with Liberty Properties of Boston to obtain the six remaining acres of land at the former St. Vincent Hospital property along Providence Street in Worcester.

Included in the transaction, which was completed yesterday, is a portion of the old St. Vincent Hospital building that still stands on the site, a parking lot, and a vacant former generator building.

The acquisition paves the way for creation of a new Worcester Academy South Campus Performance Center, which will use the generator building as its primary footprint. That building, located off Marion Avenue, will be expanded to accommodate seating for 120 and, once completed, will include a box office, dressing rooms, a green room, gallery space, and an open air patio. The Performance Center is set to open in Fall 2015.

Mr. Dormitzer said the purchase and related construction reinforce Worcester Academy’s commitment to the school’s Union Hill neighborhood.

“We are proud of Worcester Academy’s place in the history of this city and in our neighborhood, in particular,” Mr. Dormitzer said. “The purchase provides Academy students with new options for current and future programming. The land acquisition is part of the school’s effort to contribute to the reinvigoration of one the city’s historic neighborhoods.”

The remaining portion of the former St. Vincent Hospital building still standing will remain vacant, he said, although the Academy will close exterior walls, seal it from the elements, and make some modest improvements to the exterior, he said.

According to Mr. Dormitzer, the property is contiguous to 9 acres of former hospital land that Worcester Academy previously purchased from Liberty: roughly 6 acres in 2007 and another 3 acres in 2010. Those two portions of the property had remained largely vacant after St. Vincent’s sold the property and moved downtown in 2000.

Acquisition of the property has already allowed for the construction of Morse Field, an award-winning lighted synthetic field on the property, which is available to neighborhood residents, schools, and community groups (other WA fields are also open to the public).

Morse Field is utilized by the Union Hill School for recess, PE, and events. In June, Academy seniors and postgraduates sponsored a field day for Union Hill at Morse Field, which was also made available to Oak Hill CDC for its NeighborWorks Week celebration and health fair. The Worcester youth Cowboys Football Team uses Morse Field for playoff games.

Neighborhood children and adults also have access to the field for play and for walking or jogging when not in use by the Academy.

“Worcester Academy’s commitment to Union Hill has never been stronger,” said Ron Cino, head of school. “We’re thrilled to share our fields and facilities with neighborhood residents.”

He noted that the South Campus Performance Center is the first visual and performing arts building constructed by the Academy since Warner Theater was built in 1932.

Over the past several years, Worcester Academy has made many resources and facilities available to the neighborhood, and partnered with schools, city officials, the Oak Hill CDC, and others to improve the quality of life for its neighbors. WA students have also provided countless hours of community service in schools and at neighborhood organizations.

Worcester Academy initiatives have included:

Neighborhood Scholars Program – Seven neighborhood students attend Worcester Academy for free (one student in each grade at WA) as part of the Neighborhood Scholars Program.
The Union Hill School Library Project – a WA student-led program that saw the creation of a Union Hill School library through gifts, donations, and labor.
Revolving Loan Fund – Made available as low-interest loans to homeowners for improvements to properties.
Worcester Academy Summer Scholars Program – a free four-week academic camp for 25+ neighborhood children beginning June 29
Summer Camp Scholarships – free tuition for 35 students to the Academy’s sports and arts camps.
Habitat for Humanity – In March 2015, Worcester Academy donated 21 Aetna Street to Habitat for Humanity Metro-West/Greater Worcester (construction on a duplex is set to begin this summer). In 2006, Worcester Academy’s own Habitat for Humanity Chapter completed a duplex on Perry Avenue.
Other Facilities – Also this month, Union Hill held its Sixth Grade graduation in Worcester Academy’s Warner Theater, and Walker Hall was host to graduates of the Worcester Community Connections Coalition of YOU Inc. and the Worcester Family Partnership.

The South Campus Performance Center and the construction of Morse Field, along with other projects, are hailed as milestones in the success of the school’s current capital campaign – “OnWArd: The Campaign for Worcester Academy.” That campaign, with a goal of $50 million, aims to finance property acquisitions, new construction, some campus renovations to existing buildings, and increases to the endowment.

WORCESTER ACADEMY

Worcester Academy is an independent co-ed day and boarding school for grades 6 to 12 and postgraduates. Our urban setting, diverse community, and innovative curriculum provide each student with unique opportunities for self-discovery, academic achievement, and personal empowerment. Visit us at www.worcesteracademy.org

For information, contact Neil Isakson, director of external communications, at neil.isakson@worcesteracademy.org, or call 508-754-5302 x135.

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