By Rick Winterson

     For some time, the South Boston Neighborhood House has been seeking new quarters, because its main building at 521 East Seventh Street is cramped and in need of major repairs.  Recently, the Neighborhood House signed a purchase and sales agreement (P&SA) to buy the Gate of Heaven Hall on the northwest corner of I and Fourth Streets.

     Last Thursday, December 15, an open meeting was held at the Neighborhood House Senior Center on H Street to present and discuss the proposed relocation.  Approximately 100 people attended, most of whom were neighbors living near the Gate of Heaven Church.

State Sen. Jack Hart opened the proceedings with remarks that were generally supportive of the concept.  However, he went on to explicitly state that it would not be his decision to make – “It’s for the Neighborhood House, the Church, and the residents of the neighborhood to decide.”

     Kevin Martin then presented the outline of the proposed sale and relocation.  Martin wears two hats in the overall project.  He is President of the Board of the South Boston Neighborhood House, and he spearheaded the fund drive to refurbish the Gate of Heaven Church building.

     To begin with, Fr. Casey, the Pastor of St. Brigid and Gate of Heaven Churches, decided some months back to sell both the rectory and the Gatey Hall, leaving the convent, the school, and the church itself under parish ownership.  Since the Hall and the rectory adjoin each other on the north side of Fourth Street, that made sense.

     The Neighborhood House was one of ten bidders, but there was a difference in their bid:  they wanted only the Hall, and had no use for the rectory.  John Cronin, a local developer, put in a bid on the rectory, which he proposes to convert into 12 to 15 condominiums, depending on zoning requirements and onsite parking.  He will also share the proceeds he realizes from his part of the venture. 

     A successful joint purchase by Cronin and the Neighborhood House requires zoning board approval, including a transfer of a 12-foot “greenie” from the rectory to the Hall, which will satisfy outdoor play area requirements.  An agreement has been worked out, so that the CYO basketball program can use the new gymnasium planned by the Neighborhood House over the next ten years.  The Gate of Heaven School can also use the refurbished Hall facility for their physical education requirements.

     This will be a major project.  An estimated $4 million will be spent on refurbishing the current Hall.  That is in addition to the $5+ million already slated for upgrading and repairing the Church.  Among the issues to be faced with the Hall are repairing/replacing roof beams and joists that were damaged by a fire more than 100 years ago.  Isolating the sounds of the gymnasium from the floor below will require some careful acoustic engineering.  The exterior of the Hall would remain unchanged when it is converted to the Neighborhood House, except for a couple of small dormers in its roof.

     Tentative plans include a brand new gymnasium.  The second-floor stage may be converted into a teen lounge and the balcony may be converted to an office area.  On the ground floor, a complex of offices, classrooms, and computer/meeting rooms is proposed.  The square footage in the Hall is almost twice the 8,000 square feet at the Seventh Street Neighborhood House site.  Project duration, once approvals are obtained, will be nine or ten months.

     There appear to be only two alternatives to the project as described.  One would involve selling both the rectory and Hall to a single developer, which would mean 30+ residential units and no gym for CYO and the school – the Hall actually might be torn down.  The Neighborhood House would be forced to continue its search for new quarters. 

     The other alternative would be a failure to sell the rectory and the Hall, which is a possibility if all of the conditions and covenants in the P&SA are not met.  The project to refurbish the Church would then be seriously short of funds.  In the very worst case, this could ultimately leave all five Gate of Heaven buildings unoccupied, until they are developed at some time in the indefinite future.