Leaders at the Educational Alliance have sent us an update to last month’s big news about their major capital project. In an email to supporters, administrators at the 122-year-old institution unveiled a new website and an update on the planning process for the overhaul and modernization of their flagship building at 197 E. Broadway, which is scheduled to start in November:
Today, we’re thrilled to announce that the renovation has been officially approved by the Board of Trustees and we’re moving forward with our plans to create the quintessential urban community center.
The project is expected to take the better part of two years and cost roughly $50 million, resulting in much more functional space for the Educational Alliances’ many programs. At the same time, the construction will require programs to be temporarily disrupted and relocated. The plans have especially riled supporters of the art school, who have organized an opposition group and continue to protest via letters and petitions to the board of directors.
In a blog post last night, CEO and President Robin Bernstein acknowledged the difficulty of making such a big change:
In order to leave the Alliance strong for generations yet to enter our doors, we need to rebuild, even though there is the possibility that some of them might never see the new building.
I believe that the story of the Educational Alliance is a story of courage. It would be easy for us to just keep applying a little paint and repairing our old elevator, but we courageously undertook this major renovation during this difficult economic time because we knew it would be good for our community.
