St. Joseph’s High School: Classrooms to Bedrooms in the City of Lowell, MA

Norman and Mary Jo Zarella

What impact do you think the building has on the Acre neighborhood and on the City of Lowell at large?

I think that this building will help stabilize the neighborhood, the Acre.  And I think that bringing affordable housing in here and having people use the space would greatly help the City of Lowell.  We have a hospital up the street, a credit union down the street, and City Hall is located just a bit further.  So over the course of many years, a lot of good places have been sited in this little section.

I feel that this project is the ultimate in recycling, and in being green.  We are taking something that was built a long time ago, and utilizing it for a different purpose.  We are using a resource we already have, we’re not tearing anything down, and we’re making the building even better.

I think converting this school building into affordable housing is the greatest thing in the world.  Our community definitely needs it.

- Norman Zarella