SPRINGFIELD — The Massachusetts School Building Authority, as pledged by its chairman, State Treasurer Steven Grossman, on Wednesday announced approval of full reimbursement of funds for the $27.9 million Elias Brookings Elementary School project and the $15.2 million Mary Dryden School project in the aftermath of severe damage from the tornado of 2011. At a press conference at City Hall,...
SPRINGFIELD — The Massachusetts School Building Authority, as pledged by its chairman, State Treasurer Steven Grossman, on Wednesday announced approval of full reimbursement of funds for the $27.9 million Elias Brookings Elementary School project and the $15.2 million Mary Dryden School project in the aftermath of severe damage from the tornado of 2011.
At a press conference at City Hall, local officials, including Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, praised Grossman and the state authority for fully funding the projects with the aid of approximately $4 million in federal disaster funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Grossman had visited the city days after the tornado of June 1, 2011, seeing the severe damage at Brookings on Hancock Street, deemed beyond repair, and the serious damage at Dryden School on Surrey Road, including the need for major renovations and a new wing.
“He gave us his word at that time that he would make Springfield whole,” Sarno said. “True to the testament of the man, he has done that.”
The state authority typically reimburses up to 80 percent of costs for such projects, but took a formal vote on Wednesday to cover full funding as permitted by a legislative amendment sponsored by state Sen. James Welch, D-West Springfield. Welch also thanked Grossman and the state authority during the press conference, and said the amendment was a “team effort” pushed by the entire Springfield area delegation.
The full funding of the two school projects will save the city an additional $13 million, Sarno said.
The Dryden renovations and new wing were completed, and a new Brookings School is under construction at a nearby location on Walnut Street in Six Corners. The Brookings school should be completed by January or February of 2015, officials said.
Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick said the damage to the schools was devastating for those neighborhoods, and he praised Grossman and the authority for their support of Springfield. The state authority has supported many other school projects in Springfield, including the new Putnam Vocational Academy, newly renovated and expanded Forest Park Middle School and major renovations to many schools, he said.
City Council President Michael Fenton joined in praising the state’s action as another significant step in the city’s recovery.
Grossman said the reimbursement agreement “reflects our ironclad commitment to help the city cope with a natural disaster from which it still hasn’t completely recovered.”
Sarno and the council approved funds for both school projects, with the anticipation of full reimbursement, now realized.
The city recently announced that it has also received $25 million from FEMA in federal disaster aid for damage to other city properties including the South End Community Center and the vacant former Zanetti School, both in the South End.
The city previously received approval of $21.8 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funds for disaster recovery from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.