Revere debates locating school at park dedicated to WWII veteran

REVERE – World War II veteran Tom Hill Sr. said if the Revere School Building Committee wants to build a new school in the place of Hill Park, they will need to provide land of equal value.?If you can?t do it, go by what the law says and leave it alone,” said Hill, rising from his seat at the McKinley School Project Building Committee at the superintendent?s office on Monday.The park was dedicated in 1958 to Hill?s brother, James Hill, who was killed while serving in the Army in WWII. The law Hill referred to is Article 97 of the state constitution that allows state grant money of $175,000 to be used for upkeep of the park, and that the land “shall be maintained as public outdoor recreations use in perpetuity unless conversion to other use is approved by the Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs.”Now members of the School Building Committee, City Council and School Committee are discussing a rebuilding of the McKinley School at Hill Park as one of three options in a plan to renovate or rebuild the 108-year-old school in order to meet education and building code requirements for an additional 200 students who will be projected to attend in the next two years. The other two options are to rebuild the school at Henry Della Russo Stadium or to renovate it on-site at its present location at 65 Yeamans St.According to project architect Scott Woodin of Collaborative Partners, Hill Park was “the most feasible” option to build a new McKinley School because it makes more geographical sense and would cost less than the others at $8.3 million.According to Woodin?s plans, the renovation of the McKinley School would push the building up to four floors, leading to a cumbersome design lacking in easy mobility for the elementary school students, zero recreational space and the requirement of a parking garage. The renovation of the existing building would also prevent City Hall and the superintendent to use the space as a municipal building. The renovation is projected to cost $11 million.Woodin estimated the cost at using the stadium site for the new school at $17 million, much of which would not be reimbursed by the state. An additional problem was posed when the committee was unable to find another space for the new stadium.?Take the emotional piece out and look at the land use only,” said Mayor Dan Rizzo as the discussion got heated. “That?s how we are thinking about it. There?s no disrespect to a first-class family like the Hills.”Rizzo said using Hill Park would be his last choice if the other two were more space and cost effective.Lawrence Simeone, Hill?s attorney, shared the concern that recreational space is disappearing in Revere and therefore Hill Park should be saved. He added that rebuilding on the park was “an insult” to veterans.?The decision is going to be very controversial,” said Councilor John Correggio.Final numbers for the three options will be presented at the next School Building Committee on Aug. 7, when the committee will vote which option to move forward with. The project is proposed to be completed in the fall of 2015.Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected].