Mass Academy moving off campus

Next summer, the Mass Academy will be moving out of its current location, which is on the ground floor of the Gordon Library. Its new location will be 85 Prescott Street. This new location is approximately an eight-minute walk from the WPI campus.

According the Robert Salvatelli, the Director of the Mass Academy, the Academy originally moved into Gordon Library as a temporary location. They have been at that location for the past nine years. He mentioned that George C. Gordon, who donated the original funding for the library, intended the library building to be used solely as library space. Mr. Salvatelli said that he believes that "this is a good time the Mass Academy to move." He is concerned about the effect the planned construction of the New Academic Building/Parking Garage project will have on the learning environment at their present location.

The new location of the Mass Academy is a renovated old industrial building just off of Grove Street. This location will be bigger than the current space in the library, which Mr. Salvatelli thinks is one advantage of moving to the new site. An Internet company and a doctor's office, according to Mr. Salvatelli, will share the building with the Academy. The owner of building is paying for the renovation, and the Mass Academy will be leasing their space. One disadvantage, noted Mr. Salvatelli, is the distance from the WPI campus. Mr. Salvatelli mentioned that he would like to have the Academy located on campus, because that gives Mass Academy students easier access to WPI facilities.

Mr. Salvatelli believes that the move will not be too difficult for the academy students. He noted that the distance from the new location to campus is equivalent to the distance many students would have to walk to get to classes at large universities. Van service will be offered to Mass Academy students between the Prescott Street location and WPI. Mr. Salvatelli said, "We believe that even though there may be adjustments and inconveniences for seniors, they will adjust to the new environment and like it."

The departure of the Mass Academy gives the library approximately eight thousand square feet more space to use, according to Helen Schuster, the Director of the Library. Any decisions on the use of that space, according to Ms. Schuster, will be made as part of a major library renovation that is still in the works. She did mention, however, that the ground floor is the only level in the library that will support compact shelving. Compact shelving allows twice the number of books to be stored in the same space than normal shelving would store.