PHOTO COURTESY OF CBT ARCHITECTS
Pictured is an artist rendering the new Gateway and STEM building to be constructed at St. Mary’s later this year.
By THOMAS GRILLO
LYNN — St. Mary’s, the 135-year-old Catholic college preparatory school, is about to grow.
The co-ed school that boasts a stellar alumni is planning a $9 million expansion that would add a three-story, glass entryway and a 30,000-square-foot science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) building.
“We have exciting plans,” said Grace Cotter Regan, head of school. “We want to focus on STEM and 21st century learners.”
Regan and Glenn Morris, chairman of Newton-based Morris Architects, presented plans for the expansion to the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.
Under the proposal, the annex will be demolished and the chapel would be moved to another location. In its place, a gateway would be built between the William F. Connell and Cushing centers that would offer open space for students to hang out. At the rear of the new entrance, the STEM facility would feature new classrooms for science, technology, engineering and math.
“The new three-story building facing Tremont Street will feature a new, accessible glass entrance,” said Morris, who is also a St. Mary’s graduate and trustee.
Designed by CBT Architects in Boston, the new wing is expected to break ground this year and open in the fall of 2018.
Regan said they have already exceeded their fundraising goal of $14 million by $300,000 thanks to the generosity of new and old donors. In addition to money for the new addition, a portion of the cash will be used for scholarships and academic programs, she said.
One reason for the expansion is to boost enrollment by 20 percent to 600. In addition, Regan hopes to increase the percentage of students from Lynn to 50 percent, up from 40 percent.
Tuition for the upper school is expected to rise to $13,200 next year, which can be a reach for some families, she said.
“We are very committed to Lynn,” Regan said. “Sometimes people think we are thinking of moving away, but we are totally Lynn centric.”
A future $10 million campaign is in the works for a new cafeteria wing, an arts facility with a theater and a new sports center.
“Of course, that will depend on the generosity of donors,” Regan said.
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Thomas Grillo can be reached at [email protected].