Page 17 - BusinessWest May 12, 2025

WMA >>Continued from page 15
appeals from the school to see if they were interested
in the project,” he went on. “We were fortunate in that
they were all interested in the project, and they were
almost all able to help us with it; that’s how we were
able to make it happen relatively quicky.”
Elaborating, he said there were two lead gifts —
from donors he was not ready to name — that gen-
erated much-needed momentum for the initiative,
one for $7 million, the other for $5 million. “Several
other people picked up on that momentum, and that
enabled us to get to $20 million.”
Groundbreaking ceremonies were staged on April
25. Work is slated to commence soon, and the plan is
to have the facility ready for the start of the 2026-27
school year.
Easler said the initiative represents the next phase
in the school’s master plan for its campus, one with
several components, including the construction of a
new athenaeum, completed in 2020, which is con-
nected to the chapel and will be connected to the new
kitchen and server area, with the current dining hall
to be converted to a state-of-the-art large-capacity the-
ater and performance and meeting space.
The past and present will come together — liter-
ally, and in powerful ways, said Easler, noting that the
rough-hewn brownstone exterior chapel will become
the servery’s interior wall.
“During the day, the skylights will illuminate the
servery with natural light,” said Easler, “highlighting
the beauty of the original brownstone exterior and
creating a stunning backdrop for a modern country-
kitchen style.”
But while the project has many aspects to it, in
many respects, the chapel is the primary focus. Com-
pleted in 1870, it has been used sparingly in recent
years — for school meetings once a week, said Easler.
It’s transformation into a dining hall will make it a
much larger part of the school’s identity and its daily
activity.
“This space will serve as a unifying gathering
place for our community,” said Easler. “The dining
commons will become the heart and soul of our cam-
pus, and a central part of the student experience.”
And the project will turn back the clock and
restore the chapel to its original elegance and archi-
tectural allure.
“We have photos of the chapel when it was first
constructed; it was magnificent on the inside, with
exposed beams and stained-glass dormers,” said
Easler. All of that is still up there, but it was covered
with sheet rock somewhere along the line, probably
to minimize the cubic yards that had to be cooled or
heated. We have other ways to mitigate that now, so
we’ll be opening it back up to its original beauty, and
it will be a stunning dining room.”
Dave Fontaine Jr., CEO with Fontaine Bros., the
general contractor for the project, as well as the ath-
enaeum, agreed, noting that this project falls into sev-
eral categories, everything from new construction to
what would be considered historic renovation.
“It’s a very cool project,” he told BusinessWest.
“There’s a lot of history in the chapel, it’s a really cool
building, and I think this will be a gem of a project
when it’s completed.” BW
Link >>Continued from page 16
announced at LTL’s biennial fund-raising ball at the
Basketball Hall of Fame, will enable the nonprofit to
extend its reach, and impact.
“While most of Link to Libraries’ work is done
through underserved elementary schools, we fre-
quently receive requests from other local nonprofits
for book donations to support their own work with
children and families in need,” she explained. “We
do our very best to say ‘yes’ to every book request
we get, but we have limited funds, limited ability to
do that.
“By creating this fund and having this cache of
money set aside to support our community partners,
who are serving the same kids and families that we
are, that will enable our reach to expand,” she went
on, adding that that the legacy fund will be a perma-
nent fixture at LTL.
Flynn said there is no specific goal for the fund,
adding that whatever is raised — and she is expect-
ing support from individuals and businesses alike
— will enable LTL to support more groups serving
children and families, such as the Salvation Army,
the Springfield Museums, and countless others.
“Steve’s passing was a terrible loss to our Link
to Libraries family, to the Western Massachusetts
community, and to all who knew and loved him,”
said Flynn. “We hope that this tribute will be a living
reminder of Sue and Steve’s tireless work and pas-
sion for improving the lives of others.”
For more information on the legacy fund, visit
linktolibraries.org. BW
— George O’Brien
— George O’Brien
We’re here for
local business.
Ask us about:
• Commercial/Business Loans & Lines of Credit
• Business Deposit Accounts & Services
• Flexible Cash Management Solutions
• Robust eBusiness Solutions Business Online Banking
• Business VISA® Debit & Credit Cards
• Industry-Leading Merchant Services
Unlock your potential
bankESB.com | 855.527.4111
Member FDIC | Member DIF | NMLS #: 405477
Business W est << EDUCATION >>
MAY 12, 2025
17