Revere Mckinley School

Revere, MA

Planning Study and Community Engagement,
Workforce Development, Community Center, Early Education and Care, 36,600 SF
Completion: 2022

Project Overview

This land planning study for the Revere McKinley School establishes a shared vision for an economically viable plan for redevelopment. The city’s preliminary goals for the project are to reprogram the school into a new hub for community activity that can provide space for a variety of programming. A comprehensive community engagement process complemented by city-wide workforce development research helped define the programmatic needs of the city, and served as a basis for this new vision for the McKinley School that will benefit the surrounding Revere community.

Project Team

Hansy Better Barraza
Anthony Piermarini
Elise Zilius
Sophie Nahrmann
Kaitlin Pettenger
Andres Jimenez
Joshua Ssebuwufu

Client

MassDevelopment TDI

Municipality

City of Revere

Community Partner

Revere Public Schools

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

COMPREHENSIVE & INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT

Our team led an in-depth community engagement process for reprogramming the McKinley School, which was also informed by recent citywide planning initiatives such as the City’s workforce development and master plans. Four in-person and virtual community workshops were complemented by a public input page hosted by the City of Revere to engage community members and stakeholders and ensure that a diversity of perspectives could be heard.

PROGRAMMING

EDUCATION & COMMUNITY

The primary programming for this study of the McKinley school was derived from the top responses from the community engagement process and feedback from stakeholders in the community. Implementing programming of Early Education and Care, Community Center/Education Spaces, Workforce Training, and a Performing arts space, this study activates the vacant school to support the Revere Community.

NETWORK OF ECONOMIC MOBILITY

INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

This study aims to complement new and existing programming in Revere, such as the Suffolk Downs Redevelopment, New Revere High School, and Revere Food Hub Project to fulfill workforce and educational programming needs in the City of Revere. The new programming at the McKinley School will include multigenerational uses and provide flexible spaces to accommodate a diversity of programming that supports all demographics.

About the Planning Study

At The McKinley School

Studio Luz was engaged for design assitance by MassDevelopment TDI to undergo a planning study to reprogram the McKinley School in Revere. The City of Revere’s vision is to create an economically viable plan for the redevelopment of the McKinley School. The city’s goal for the project is to reprogram the school into a new hub for community activity that can provide space for a variety of programming.

The McKinley School, sited in downtown Revere, was closed in 2014 when the elementary school moved to its new location at the Hill School one block away; the school has sat vacant in recent years following the switch. Its central location makes the McKinley school a great opportunity to transform the vacant space into a hub for community education and workforce training.

In collaboration with the City of Revere, Studio Luz led an in-depth process of community engagement to determine community needs and priorities when developing a new vision for the McKinley School. Addressing needs voiced by the community, Studio Luz’s planning study aims to transform the McKinley into a beacon of accessibility with flexible spaces to support community needs such as education, performing arts, and workforce development.

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