‘It’s the end of an era’: Demolition of old East Providence High School begins
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – The demolition of the old East Providence High School started Monday, as a brand new high school is on schedule to open to students this September.
“It’s very exciting, and you know, a little bit sad to see the building go down, but very exciting for the new beginnings for East Providence,” said Superintendent Kathryn Crowley.
The building will be torn down in phases over the next several months. Crews started by tearing down the “new” wing closest to Pawtucket Avenue, which is expected to take three days, and will return later in the year to tear down the original building.
“They have to wait a little while cause they’re still doing, on the other side of the building, some asbestos abatement in the soil,” said Crowley.
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Alumni of all ages watched the demolition from the shopping plaza across the street. The public is not allowed to watch the demolition from the property.
“It’s a good thing there’s gonna be a new school. It’s gonna be better things…we didn’t even have heat or AC, so, not gonna miss that at all. It was terrible. Ceiling tiles were falling down, water was leaking,” said Marco Medeiros, class of 2021. “We should have gotten a new school a while ago.”
Others, like Becky Rego, will miss the building that she says is filled with fond memories for herself and her children.
“I hate to see any of the old go. I know, out with the old, in with the new, but I find it sad. A lot of memories,” said Rego, class of 1983. “I went through on the trip through one Saturday a few months ago with my kids and saw a whole lot of Townies I had graduated with. It’s the end of an era sort of.”
The new high school is on schedule to open this upcoming school year, with teachers coming back on August 30 and students shortly after.
“It’s a 21st-century structure…can’t compare it to what they’re knocking down now,” said Crowley. “There’s 11 science labs as opposed to one science lab in this building. They have a beautiful greenhouse in this building…(a) double gymnasium with a walking track above it. We have a library media center that’s second to none. It’s almost like going into a college building.”
Crowley said they’ve been lucky to not have any delays in the construction progress so far.
“A few delays in some pieces but nothing to prevent the school from opening at this point in time, I would like to say that. We’ve been very lucky.”
The old high school was built in 1952 and was riddled with problems. Residents approved the construction of a new school in 2018, and the city broke ground in 2019.
Demolition will continue on the “new” wing for several more days. No word yet on when demolition of the original building will start.
© WLNE-TV 2021
