Tufts completes transformation of Capen St. school

A joint effort between Tufts and its associated real estate holding company, Walnut Hill Properties, has culminated in the renovation of Medford's Hillside School building. Its classrooms, corridors, and offices now house twelve apartments for professors and low income families.

Nine of the 12 apartments will be used to house junior faculty recently recruited by Tufts. Faculty members will have their rent subsidized for up to three years, to give them time to adjust to their new community.

"This is a great opportunity for new faculty as they transition to Tufts and for them to live within walking distance to campus with other faculty," said University spokeswoman Siobhan Houton. She worked closely with the community and press on the project.

Boston's soaring housing prices have been a growing concern for area universities eager to attract talented young professors. Tufts is one of the first universities in the region to try to solve this problem.

Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn said the plan "is a model for others to follow."

Many of the professors living in the apartment building agreed that the housing program gave the University an advantage over other prospective employers.

The remaining three units have been reserved for affordable housing, which will be provided by the City of Medford for residents who qualify.

Walnut Hill purchased the Capen Street school building, for $801,852 in 2001. The city of Medford placed several restrictions on the development site. Major limitations included the reservation of three units for affordable housing, the building be smoke free, no student housing be included, and no street parking for tenants.

The idea behind the project was to preserve the building and the historic articles within it as much as possible, while preparing the structure to take on a new function.

Local residents agreed that the building needed the change, but they worried that the building might lose its character or history. Walnut Hill, however, said it strove to preserve the seventy-five year old building's charm and integrity from the very beginning of planning the renovation.

"The strategy was to use as much of the existing facility [as possible] with minimal demolition," Houton said. "This included keeping the old wood flooring where the school chairs were bolted to the floor." In addition, the original plaster walls were maintained, the school's cloak rooms were transformed into storage spaces, and almost all of the units have an original chalkboard.

While the building maintains much of its original fittings and structure, it required modernization. There were several changes made to the building addressing comfort, safety, and environmental considerations. New ceilings had to be constructed to comply with State codes and the principal's office now houses an elevator.

The building was designed with ecology in mind. A new synthetic rubber roof replaced the old one. The developers said the roof will prevent heat from being trapped in the building. The renovation process also made use of several renewable materials including old newspapers, which were used to create a cellulose insulation system between the floors to increase acoustic separation and reduce vibration.

Other environmental issues addressed include the storm drainage process, which allows the water to disperse within the subsoil rather than overflow into adjacent surroundings, and recycling, for which a room was constructed in the building.

According to Houton, the responses toward the renovations have all been positive. Both city officials and community members seem satisfied with the buildings new use and its preservation. McGlynn commented, "I haven't heard any negative feedback, only positive."

Barbara and Lois Burns attended the school when it first opened in 1928 and later went on to attend Tufts University. Lois later returned to teach at the school for over thirty five years. "I think it's marvelous," Barbara told The Medford Transcript, "It was a wreck, a menace to the neighborhood. The grounds were in terrible shape."

McGlynn is especially pleased with the advantages Tufts faculty will bring to the community. He said, "Children of the community will have role models as their neighbors, Tufts professors."