June 9, 2010: Rallying for the Presentation School

>> Rooney: WHEN THE BOSTON ARCHDIOCESE ANNOUNCED IT WAS SHUTTERING OUR LADY OF PRESENTATION SCHOOL, EVENTUALLY BUYING THE BUILDING.

BUT NOW WITH THEIR LOANS IN DEFAULT, THEY HAVE TO RAISE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN THE NEXT TWO DAYS OR LOSE THE PROPERTY THEY'VE BEEN FIGHTING SO HARD TO KEEP.

>> THIS WAS THE SCENE OUTSIDE OUR LADY OF THE PRESENTATION SCHOOL IN 2005, AFTER THE BOSTON ARCHDIOCESE LOCKED STUDENTS OUT OF THE BUILDING TWO DAYS BEFORE GRADUATION.

>> INSENSITIVE, ARROGANT MOVE BY THE ARCHDIOCESE.

HAVE THEY NO SHAME?

>> Rooney: THE PROTESTS PROMPTED ACTION, AND NOW, FIVE YEARS LATER, A LOCAL GROUP WHICH BOUGHT THE BUILDING IN 2007, HOPES TO TRANSFORM THIS INTO A COMMUNITY CENTER AT A COST OF $5.6 MILLION.

>> OUR FUNDRAISING GAP AT THE END OF APRIL WAS $725,000.

WHICH IS A TREMENDOUS GAP.

AND ONE THAT WE HAD TO CLOSE WITHIN, LITERALLY, A MONTH OR SO.

>> Rooney: TOM O'BRIEN SAS THEY HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY.

AND ST. ELIZABETH'S CENTER, ANOTHER $150,000, AND LAST WEEK THE NEW BALANCE ISSUED THIS CHALLENGE:

>> IF WE CAN RAISE $100,000 BY JUNE 11th, THEY WILL MORE THAN DOUBLE IT BY GIVING US ANOTHER $200,000 ON TOP OF THAT.

>> Rooney: RIGHT NOW THEY'RE SHORT, BUT IF THEY CAN PULL IT OFF, THE BUILDING WILL OFFER A PRE-SCHOOL AND IMMIGRANT SERVICES.

SOMETHING PRISCILLA WISHES WAS PRESENT WHEN SHE EMIGRATED FROM BRAZIL 15 YEARS AGO.

>> I DIDN'T HAVE THE SUPPORT FOR ME TO KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM I WANTED TO PURSUE.

>> Rooney: AND WHILE SHE IS NOT SURE HOW HER FAMILY WILL USE THIS SPACE, SHE SAYS IT DOESN'T MATTER.

IT'S ABOUT BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.

>> IN ANY COMMUNITY, IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU BELONG, YOU'RE GOING TO TRY TO PRESERVE IT.

>> Rooney: TOM O'BRIEN KNOWS, THOUGH, THE END COULD BE NEAR.

>> THE COST OF MAINTAINING IT THROUGH OTHER WINTER AND PAYING DEBT SERVICE IS SIMPLY BEYOND THE MEANS OF THE COMMUNITY AND OUR EFFORTS.

IT IS REALLY A TIME WHERE THE PROJECT EITHER HAS TO MOVE FORWARD OR NOT.

>> Rooney: AFTER FIVE YEARS OF WAITING, THEY'LL HAVE THEIR ANSWER IN 48 HOURS.

AND WGBH IS A COMMUNITY PARTNER WITH THE PRESENTATION SCHOOL.

WITH ME IS NANCY DEROSA, AND BRIAN GOLDEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHOR.

NANCY, YOU GOING TO MAKE YOUR DEADLINE OR NOT?

>> WE CERTAINLY HOPE SO.

WE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD.

WE HAVE AN AUCTION COMING UP FRIDAY NIGHT, OUR DEADLINE NIGHT, AT THE ELKS IN BRIGHTON.

WONDERFUL AUCTION, WONDERFUL ITEMS, AND HOPEFULLY WELL-ATTENDED.

WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE THIS WORK.

>> Rooney: HAVE YOU REACHED OUT BEYOND BRIGHTON?

>> THIS IS A NATIONAL EFFORT.

WE RECEIVED MONEY FROM PEOPLE FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTRY.

THIS HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING EFFORT AND WE HAVE WONDERFUL PARTNERS, WORKING REALLY HARD FOR US, INCLUDING THE CITY OF BOSTON.

INCLUDING NEW BALANCE, AND SO MANY OTHER AREAS THAT ARE REALLY WORKING TO HELP US.

>> Rooney: I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS THIS COMMUNITY GROUP THAT BOUGHT THE BUILDING, BUT IT WAS A SCHOOL.

YOU BOUGHT IT FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE?

>> CORRECT.

THE FOUNDATION PURCHASED IT.

>> Rooney: WHAT DID YOU PAY FOR IT?

>> $1 MILLION.

THAT WAS THE UPFRONT COST TO ACQUIRE THE BUILDING.

BUT ANOTHER $5 MILLION TO REMODEL THE BUILDING AND RENOVATE THE BUILDING.

>> Rooney: IT IS AMAZING WHAT SHAPE IT IS IN.

>> IT IS IN DISASTEROUS SHAPE.

>> Rooney: WHY?

>> WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS FROM THE SCHOOL FOUNDATION, AND THEY TOLD US ABOUT THE NEEDS THAT PREEXISTED THE CLOSURE OF THE SCHOOL --

>> Rooney: THAT MAY ONE OF THE REASONS THEY CLOSED THE SCHOOL.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

AND SOME OF THE FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCKS THAT HAVE BEGUN TO DETERIORATE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME -- IT TAKES NO TIME FOR A BUILDING NOT USED OR HEATED CONSISTENTLY --

>> Rooney: BUT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO TEAR THIS BUILDING DOWN.

IF YOU DON'T RAISE THE MONEY, WHAT WILL THEY DO, SELL IT?

>> IF WE DON'T RAISE THE MONEY, WE DON'T HAVE AN OPTION.

IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOLD.

THAT IS SOMETHING WE DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT.

>> Rooney: MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD DO THE RIGHT THING WITH IT?

>> WELL, WE WOULD HOPE SO.

THAT PART, WE'RE HOPING THOSE PEOPLE WILL STEP IN AND GIVE US A HAND AT DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND THIS BUILDING.

>> AND OUR EXPECTATIONS IS THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.

WHEN THAT SCHOOL WAS CLOSED IN 2005, MAYOR MENINO WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE NEED TO GET THE RESOURCES, AND IT NEEDED TO REINVENT ITSELF AND BECOME AN INSTITUTION THAT PROVIDED THE SAME STABILITY -- MAYBE EVEN MORE STABILITY TO A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT A SCHOOL PROVIDED.

AND IN THIS NEW VISION, WE SEE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, AND LATER EDUCATION FOR ADULTS, ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE.

HEALTH SCREENING PROGRAMS.

EDUCATION, LOTS OF ACTIVITIES THAT SERVE THE PEOPLE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE THINK WHILE THE STABILITY MIGHT OF A DIFFERENT CHARACTER, IT WILL FUNDAMENTALLY REINVIGORATE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> Rooney: IT IS REALLY THE HEART OF OAK SQUARE.

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WHOLE ARCHDIOCESE.

DID YOU HAVE A KID IN SCHOOL AT THE TIME?

>> I DID.

I HAD TWO KIDS IN THERE AT THE TIME.

WE WERE TOLD THAT THE SCHOOL WOULD BE CLOSING --

>> Rooney: IN TWO YEARS.

>> AND WE WENT TO THE ARCHDIOCESE WITH A VERY VALID PLAN TO MAKE THIS A BIGGER AND BETTER PLACE.

THAT PLAN WAS TURNED DOWN.

I THINK THE ARCHDIOCESE, FOR REASONS UNKNOWN, DECIDED TO CLOSE VERY SUDDENLY.

WE WERE CALLED AT HOME AT 8:00 AT NIGHT TO SAY THAT THE SCHOOL IS CLOSED IMMEDIATELY AND YOUR CHILD DOESN'T NEED TO PRESENT HERE IN THE MORNING.

>> Rooney: AND THEY DIDN'T LET THEM GRADUATE.

WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?

>> THEY WERE SET TO GRADUATE.

AND THEY HAD PEOPLE GOING INTO CHURCHES AND OTHER BUILDINGS, AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE.

THEY WERE NERVOUS ABOUT THAT,.

>> Rooney: RIGHTFULLY SO.

>> THEY SUDDENLY SAID THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE IMMEDIATELY.

FT.LY -- FORTUNATELY FOR US, THE MAYOR STEPPED UP IN THE COMMUNITY STEPS UP, SO OUR KIDS GRADUATED IN THE CENTER THE FOLLOWING DAY.

AND MAYOR MENINO HAD ALL OF THE OLDER CHILDREN COME TO NATHANIEL HALL.

AMAZING.

>> Rooney: THAT CITY HAS TO COME IN WITH SOME MONEY, BUT NOT FOR THE WHOLE THING?

>> NO.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE $5 MILLION, THE SCHOOL SECTOR WENT OUT TO PRIVATE SECTORS, AND THE MASS DEVELOPMENT HAS COMMITTED A BOND THAT WILL FINANCE A LOT OF THIS RENOVATION THROUGH DEBT.

BUT WHAT THE LENDERS MADE CLEAR TO THE PRESENTATION SCHOOL FOUNDATION, YOU NEED TO COME UP WITH AT LEAST $750,000 WORTH OF CASH IN ORDER TO ACCESS THESE LOANS, FOR THESE LOANS THAT WE'RE OFFERING YOU.

>> Rooney: SO $750,000 NEEDED BY FRIDAY?

>> AND BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE BY THE CITY AND ST. ELIZABETH'S AND NEW BALANCE, WE WERE LEFT WITH $100,000, AND WE'VE RAISED ALMOST A QUARTER OF THAT TO DATE.

SO WE HAVE ABOUT $75,000 TO GO.

>> Rooney: THAT'S RIGHT.

>> A NANCY POINTED OUT, THE MAYOR WAS SO INCENSED THE TIME IT WAS CLOSED, WE HAD THE GRADUATION AT THE NATHANIEL HALL.

AND FINALLY, FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, HE HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR RESOURCES, BOTH CITY, BOTH BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

>> OUR WEBSITE IS PSF..

>> Gary: ALL RIGHT.Rooney: TOMORROW NIGHT, A LOCAL COMPANIES' OLDER WORKFORCE IS CHALLENGING THE IDEA OF RETIREMENT.

>> I THINK WE'RE VERY CONSCIENTIOUS BECAUSE WE'RE SO GLAD TO BE OUT TRYING TO DO SOMETHING AND EARN A LITTLE EXTRA MONEY.

AND I THINK THAT KEEPS US GOING.

>> Rooney: AN AMAZING STORY.

THAT'S IT FOR "GREATER BOSTON," WE'LL BE BACK TOMORROW NIGHT ON "GREATER BOSTON." I'M EMILY ROONEY.

GOOD NIGHT.