Madison Park Technical Vocational High School

Mayor Michelle Wu has committed the largest investment in a generation to the redesign and renovation of Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, the City’s only vocational high school. Madison Park must receive the support it needs to support its diverse high school student body as well as adult learners in the community. Our investments in the school must reflect the fact that Madison Park not only opens doors for its students, but also builds the economic vitality of our entire City.

After decades of disinvestment, Madison Park’s facilities are aging, and are not designed to support a full suite of innovative Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs connected to Boston industries. The redesign and renovation project is an opportunity to reinvigorate its CTE programs and equip students for high-quality, fulfilling careers in Boston, including the green sector jobs that will be critical to Boston’s future.

What’s the timeline for this project?

• STEP 1 - Feasibility Study (August 2022 - October 2023): We conducted a programming and feasibility study, working with Annum Architects in collaboration with the Public Facilities Department (PFD), the City of Boston, Boston Public Schools, and community stakeholders. The Feasibility Study assessed the current conditions of the facilities, identified the community priorities for a redesigned campus, and estimated the space needs of MPTVHS. The Feasibility Study is not the final design or architectural plan for the campus nor the program, but it helps us develop a cost estimate for the project for planning purposes.
• STEP 2 - Procurement (October 2023 - June 2024): The Public Facilities Department (PFD) hired an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) – LeftField Project Management– an important step in a complex project of this size. The OPM also contracted with a labor market economist to complete a deeper analysis of current and potential CTE programs at Madison and their connection to good-paying local jobs. We are now in the process of hiring a designer. The Designer Selection Committee is composed of a current Madison Park student, an alumni, a member of BPS staff, the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM), and 3 members of PFD staff. 
• STEP 3 - Design (anticipated to begin July 2024): Once the designer is on board, we will start the design process, which will take 12-18 months. There will be open community meetings throughout the design process to engage the community in finalizing the program vision and incorporate community feedback into the campus design.
• STEP 4 - Construction (anticipated to begin in 2025): The final design is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2025, with a goal of starting construction Summer 2025. Construction will happen in phases and last several years. See the graphic below for a more detailed representation of the timeline.

Who are you engaging with on this project?

We will continue to engage with community stakeholders as we move from the vision and programming phase to the design phase and the construction phase. Community stakeholders include students, alumni, families, staff, neighbors, labor and employer partners, and community organizations. We have contracted consultants and experts to guide the project forward. Since the Feasibility Study launched in 2022, we have held over 20 community engagement sessions and will hold more sessions as we work on developing the final design and programming for Madison Park.

Will Madison Park students have the opportunity to work on this project?

Yes! We will strive to engage Madison Park students throughout the design and construction process as much as we can. We want them to be excited and feel ownership over the future of their campus by involving them in design workshops geared for students, utilizing their perspectives and skills, and giving them hands-on experience working on a world-class, urban renovation project.

FEASIBILITY STUDY

What is the Madison Park Feasibility Study?

The Feasibility Study for the Madison Park project was prepared by Annum Architects in collaboration with the Public Facilities Department (PFD), the City of Boston, and school community stakeholders from August 2022 - October 2023. The Feasibility Study assessed the current conditions of the facilities, and identified the community priorities for a redesigned campus, and determined the space needs of MPTVHS. The Feasibility Study is not the final design or architectural plan for the campus nor the program, but it helps us develop a cost estimate for the project for planning purposes. It also includes an updated Educational Plan for Madison Park.

LATEST DESIGN UPDATES

Which buildings will be used for the Madison Park project?

As we begin design in the late Spring of 2024, we will develop a more detailed campus plan. Madison Park will gain significant square footage in order to deliver the space required for cutting-edge Career and Technical Education. Initial planning suggests a new Madison Park facility could be sited on the footprint currently occupied by Buildings 7 and 1. 

Will new programs be considered for Madison Park?

The Feasibility Study, guided by community meetings, identified new potential Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and program spaces the school currently lacks, including an auditorium, performing arts spaces, and an expanded media center.

We have continued to review current CTE programs and potential new programs with the Madison Park leadership team as well as industry, labor, economic, and data experts to develop a final list of CTE programs. 

What is the impact of the O’Bryant decision on Madison Park?

The O’Bryant and Madison Park have shared a campus since 1987. Mayor Wu and Superintendent Skipper proposed to move the O’Bryant to the West Roxbury Education Complex so that both programs can expand and have the state-of-the-art facilities students need. In March 2024, due to a lack of community consensus, the Mayor and Superintendent decided to pause that proposal. O’Bryant will be staying on the Malcolm X Blvd campus throughout Madison Park’s renovation project. Read the full letter to the O’Bryant community linked here.

Where will students go during construction?

We are creating a swing space plan for Madison Park, Adult Education, Re-Engagement Center students to be able to continue their academic and career and technical studies throughout construction. We will also review space needed for extracurricular activities, such as athletic fields. We will share details as we get closer to the construction phase.

What’s the plan for parking?

There are currently approximately 150 parking spaces at the rear of building 7 and on the street, which are primarily used by staff and students. Throughout the design process, the team will consider options for maintaining parking.

Why are the Adult Education and Re-Engagement Center programs a part of this project?

Decades ago, the Humphrey Occupational Resource Center served as a hub for workforce development, located on the Madison Park campus. This program merged with Madison Park to become Madison Park Technical Vocational High School in 1989. Since then, the Adult Education program and the Re-engagement Center have lived on the Madison Park campus.

We are completing a  programming study for these two programs in order to assess their spatial and programmatic needs. This programming study will give us an opportunity to understand where these important community resources best fit on the campus. 

We are committed to keeping Adult Education on the campus due to its central location and access to CTE program spaces.  Like they are now, adults will be isolated and won’t learn in the same spaces as students, but will benefit from the career and technical facilities after-hours or on weekends. 

We are studying the best future location for the Re-Engagement Center (REC) so that every school community has the space and resources it needs. We know there may be a strong preference for keeping the REC on campus if the available space fits the REC’s needs, so we will use guidance from the visioning study we’re talking about today to make these decisions, in consultation with these school communities.  

Since it will host state-of-the-art career and technical facilities and needed community resources, like childcare spaces, the Madison Park campus has the potential to be a strong engine and hub of workforce development for students during the school day and for other community members during non-school hours.

Will there be a space solely for Adult Education?

Currently, there is already space solely for Adult Education, which is used for classes during the day, and that will continue to be the case. The intent is for Adult Education to also continue to share spaces with the other schools on campus, which allows for a much larger night school program, as well as Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that use Madison Park’s vocational spaces in the evening.

No final determinations have been made for where in the building Adult Education will live, but we are looking at various options for how Building 2 might be redesigned. Any options will consider accessibility to be a key priority for all visitors to the REC and to Adult-Education.

Where will the REC and Adult-Education go while Madison Park is under construction?

We are currently evaluating swing space options, and will work with the directors of both the REC and Adult-Education to make sure that any space they occupy, even temporarily, fulfills their needs.