Tufts Daily

Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Jo Duara The former Sacred Heart Church, located at 51 Winthrop Street, will undergo renovations and be put to use as a gathering space for Tufts students.

The former Sacred Heart Church is set to be transformed into a conference building for Tufts students.

Designs are now being considered and construction is set to begin soon. While no dates have been set in stone, Vice President of Operations John Roberto believes that the building, located at 51 Winthrop Street, will be ready for use by January 2009.

Once renovated, the area will be used primarily for large events, including job fairs and Commencement.

"It'll be a place of gathering for a variety of uses that would benefit by having large, open space," Roberto said. "That is the kind of multipurpose use we envision."

According to Director of Public Relations Barbara Rubel, the Board of Trustees has yet to approve funding for the project. Once this happens, an architect will become involved and more concrete plans for the renovation will begin.

The bulk of the work will be done on the outside of the building.

"We will do some cleanup of the building exterior, make sure there is handicapped access to the main entrance of the building, and perhaps add some elements to the front so that it has some visual connection to Tufts," Rubel said in an e-mail.

Less will need to be done to the interior, which has already been cleared.

"The altar has been removed. Pews and religious artifacts have all been removed in anticipation of further demolition and renovation," Roberto said. "It's no longer a religious building."

Still, the stained glass windows will be removed to let in more light and to create a more secular space.

"We will try to identify families attached to the windows to see how they would like them reassigned," Rubel said.

No other major changes are in store for the interior, however.

"Adequate and accessible bathroom facilities will be added and utilities will be upgraded," Rubel said. "Since the goal is to create and an open, flexible space, not much more than that will be required."

The former church was one of dozens properties put up for sale by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston to provide funds for people who were sexually assaulted by members of the clergy.

It closed in 2004, and Tufts later purchased the property for $1.1 million. It was acquired along with the former Catholic Center, now the Interfaith Center, located at 58 Winthrop Street.

Rubel remains aware that while the building has been unused for the past few years, many Medford citizens feel a strong connection to it.

"Our goals is to treat the building with sensitivity," she said.

University Chaplain David O'Leary hopes the building's location on the edge of campus will allow it to serve as a positive connection between the university and its neighbors.

"Look at what we did with the building across the street, the Interfaith Center. Tufts [made it] something beautiful," he said.

Rubel agreed. "As with the new Interfaith Center ... we intend that any changes will make the building an asset to the neighborhood," she said.

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