Building UP

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Here is the view from the front door of the Perkins School.  The kids inside our school clearly aren't the only ones who are busy.  The construction crews across the street have been working every Monday through Friday.  Even in the rain.  Even on April and February vacations!

As you may know from reading our blog, they are building Phase 2 of the Old Colony renovation.  As you can see here, Phase 2 is going up right next to Phase 1.   

School is almost over, but not work on the construction site.  What will it look like when we come back next September!?!

 

Phase 2 Has Began At Last!

This blog started because over two years ago because an adventure was happening around the Perkins School.  Part of Old Colony, the oldest housing development in Boston, was being renovated.  Our students watched many of its old buildings come down.  Then they had a front row seat for the countless stages of construction that put the new ones in place.  They learned about architecture and building and many jobs they might want in the future.  Then there were all those trucks and cranes and front-end loaders!


Watching the buildings grow was pretty exciting.  




The finished product was too.  Kids have nice sidewalks to ride their bikes on and a new playground.  They have been to the Tierney Community Center to see great programs since the Perkins doesn't have its own auditorium.  The kids aren't the only people who think Phase 1 was a good idea.  Readers of Affordable Housing Finance magazine picked it over about 140 other projects as the year's Best Urban Project.

 
And, guess what?  It's starting to happen all over again.  

Politicians, city planners and developers, and builders came together to get the project started last week.  They made some speeches that basically said it takes a lot of work to do this kind of project--and, it's worth it.  It's good because it gives people from the neighborhood jobs and gives people from Old Colony a better place to live and makes South Boston a nicer community.  

Then came the fun part.  The first chunk of the building came down!

Now a new adventure begins.

A while ago, we reported on our kids' contribution to the Old Colony renovation across the street. Just about every student in the school (and some grownups too) made tiles for the Tierney Learning Center, the new meeting place for people in the Old Colony community.









Now the tilers are doing their part. The tiles are being put up in the community center.




















Originally we thought that the tiles would all be together in a block. But the plan has changed into a better one.
















Now they are creating a path that leads you into the center. They are on the walls, saying, "Welcome. This is a nice place for kids."
















They walk alongside you wherever you go. They keep you company going up the stairs.







































They stand guard as people work and learn and meet to build a strong community.

Just ask the kids at the Perkins. They're glad they could help.

WOW! IT'S DONE!

How time flies! On the last day before vacation, a few lone workers were sprinkled around the site, finishing up Phase 1 of "New Old Colony." The first family had even moved in.



It was less than 14 months ago, on October 28th, 2010, when we watched the first day of demolition for this part of "Old" Old Colony.






Now it's done.

The new trees and bushes are planted.

















It looks pretty good, doesn't it?













Now we have the new Tierney Center with a computer lab and a big room for presentations and tables outside to enjoy the view on a sunny day.










There's a lawn and a new playground.

Look!

Right across the street from all these brand new homes is the Michael J. Perkins School with the windows where we watched all these changes take place.