Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the developer of a $3 billion neighborhood proposed for Boston’s waterfront are oceans apart on a private school for the 6.5 million-square-foot project.
John B. Hynes III, managing partner of Gale International, wants to build a 120,000-square-foot international school as part of Seaport Square, a planned community with 2,500 homes, 3 million square feet of office and retail space on 23 acres of parking lots adjacent to the federal courthouse in South Boston.
Under the Boston developer’s plans, Seaport Square homeowners would be guaranteed a seat for their children, provided they pay the tuition at Nations Academy, a global school that stresses independent learning, collaboration and global citizenship.
Several planned mixed-use projects in the waterfront neighborhood will compete for homebuyers including Fan Pier and Waterside Place. Hynes is convinced that a private school with a reputation for academic excellence will be a major selling point to attract buyers.
In an effort to win the project’s approval from City Hall, Hynes has pledged to reserve 15 percent of the seats for Boston Public School students. But Menino is not sold on the concept.
“I’m not receptive to the idea,” Menino told Banker & Tradesman. “Is it a Boston Public School or a private school with tuition being charged? Do I have a say in who goes to the school or does John Hynes decide? I want to make sure this is an inclusive school. I have seen three or four iterations of Mr. Hynes’ project and I still question whether it’s a reality.”
Last year, Hynes, the grandson of former Boston Mayor John B. Hynes, ignited a firestorm of controversy when he told brokers at a meeting of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties that he hoped to build a private school at Seaport to keep the residents from fleeing to the suburbs when their children reach school age.
Menino responded angrily telling Banker & Tradesman “When was the last time John Hynes spent any time in the Boston Public Schools? Tell John to come back and live in the city and see the great kids that attend our quality public schools.”
Since then, Hynes has met with the mayor and officials at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, but have not come to agreement on the details.
“I guess I made the mistake of talking about it at the NAIOP meting because the mayor interpreted the idea as a done deal,” Hynes said. “At the time, the mayor rejected the idea outright. But by the end of year, we went back to him saying we’d like to pursue the idea of an international school that would include a pre-K to 2 pilot school for all students.”
Still, Hynes is uncertain the school will ever get built. “At the end of the day, the mayor may not want it, but in the meantime we are holding a place for the school and continuing to have discussions with City Hall.”
