The concept plan for the new German Gerena Community School envisions four floors.
Photo credit: DiNisco Designs
SPRINGFIELD — Despite frequent downpours and a last-minute change in venue, about 50 people gathered in the cafeteria of Lincoln-Brightwood School to hear about plans for the new German Gerena Community School. Among them were city councilors, School Committee members and neighborhood residents. The meeting was translated into five languages for members of the community.
The July 28 meeting was led by Donna DiNisco, president and principal of DiNisco Design, the architecture firm on the project. She explained that project to replace Gerena is in the feasibility study phase of the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s program. The MSBA is a semi-independent entity that reimburses municipalities for a portion of eligible school building repairs and construction costs. The reimbursement rate for Springfield projects is up to 80%.
DiNisco explained that the MSBA requires projects to consider options for a code upgrade and basic repairs, an addition and renovation, and new construction. The first two options had the same drawbacks — there was nowhere to relocate the students for the two years it would take to work on the building. The challenge was similar when considering whether to build a new school on the existing Gerena property. The site is narrow, and it would be logistically difficult to build there while school was in session.
The Chestnut Street property has its own considerations, DiNisco said. There is a sloping elevation to the site. She said her team has spent a significant amount of time determining how to best use the property to their advantage. The concept plans would have the school built into the hill, creating a three- and four-story school.
The plan includes dedicated bus and van dropoffs. Both of those would be separate from the parent drop-off and pick-up lane, which turns onto Chestnut Street from Carew Street, turns right onto Prospect Street and enters the school lot. A total of 83 cars would be able to queue at once. The vehicles would exit onto Massasoit Street and turn left or right.
“We want people to disperse the site in multiple directions,” she said, adding that the plan would accomplish that. There are 172 parking spaces.
The plan calls for two playgrounds, each about 10,000 square feet in area. Like the new Gerena School, DiNisco said DeBerry-Swan School has a combined total of 800 students, with two similarly sized play areas.
The ground floor would house the gymnasium, the cafeteria with a stage, music and dance rooms and other community-accessible spaces. The administrative offices would be on the first floor, along with pre-K and kindergarten classrooms. A media center would be on the second floor, with first, second and third grade classrooms, while the third floor would be dedicated to the fourth and fifth grades, and substantially separate classrooms. Several “reflection spaces” will be incorporated into the school for children who need a quiet place to self-regulate.
Once the MSBA approves the preliminary plans this fall, the architects will begin creating firmer designs for the building, play areas and parking lot. If everything goes according to plan, construction would begin in summer 2028, with a move-in date of summer 2030.
DiNisco assured people that the school would remain a dual-language model, and there were no plans to add or change its programs. It would, however, expand its pre-K offerings to three-year-olds.
“You had a beautiful school there in the past and we’re hoping you’ll have a school to revitalize the neighborhood,” DiNisco said.
When asked about congestion on Chestnut Street at drop-off and pick-up times, DiNisco said the one-way street is wide enough for a drive lane, a passing lane and a lane for queuing. Peter Garvey, the city’s director of capital asset construction, said the team would need to address the intersection of Chestnut and Peru, the congestion at which is currently rated an F-, the lowest level on the scale.
A resident asked if any other sites had been considered. Garvey explained that a request for proposals was sent out to solicit possible sites, but there were no responses. Springfield already owned the Chestnut Street property, making it a suitable solution. He added that Mayor Domenic Sarno was emphatic that the school stay in the North End.
Asked what will happen to the existing Gerena School, Garvey said there is a process in place to seek proposals for the site. If there is no interest, he said the school would likely be razed and the property sold.
Resident Juan Latorre asked if the students would be able to offer input into the design process. DiNisco said there was an engagement plan for students, particularly around the playground designs. She speculated that one playground would be designed to accommodate pre-K through first graders, while the other one would be designed for the older students.
Ward 6 City Councilor Victor Davila had concerns about vehicle emissions from idling cars and buses. He asked about planting more trees to offset the pollution. DiNisco told him they were planning to pave as little as possible and would have a robust landscaping plan. There would also be an outdoor garden to educate children about nutrition and where food comes from.
A Metro Center resident said a school for 800 students “seems awfully large.” She said it was the “dream” of people in Metro Center to have an elementary school built downtown, and she was upset that children in her neighborhood are bused to Gerena. DiNisco said the School Department examines boundary lines each year. There will be the same number of classrooms per grade that currently exists at Gerena.
“The community piece is missing for me,” said one resident. She explained that Gerena was designed as a community school and there are integrated spaces for organizations to use the building during the school day.
Likewise, School Committee member Ayanna Crawford said, “There are community partners… that utilize the school in so many ways.” She said she would not want the community to lose those opportunities.
“We hear your concerns. There’s things at Gerena that will never be replaced,” said School Committee member Gumersindo “Manny” Gomez. He specifically called out the school’s pool and planetarium. However, he said, “The students… health and their well-being is number one.”
Echoing Gomez’s comment, Garvey said, “The health of the school is the most important thing in the design.”
DiNisco said the MSBA will only fund specific educational spaces. It will not cover buildings that include pools, for example. Her team could try to incorporate aspects of the planetarium, she said.
A resident pushed back, saying, “This is an opportunity to dream big, to bring a state-of-the-art school.” If the community goes into the process limiting themselves based on how much money they will be reimbursed, she said they are “going in with a poverty mindset.”
DiNisco said there will be plenty of time in the months ahead to address community concerns. She said, “We just have to get creative with community needs.”
