Middle school workshop was welcoming
To the editor,
The now vacant Mahoney Middle School building and its ballfield factor into a consultant’s suggestions for alleviating a space crunch at city buildings. File photo/The Forecaster
As a Mainer who spent too many years away, I’m happy to be home and living in South Portland. I’ve always been interested in politics, and the town hall aspect of the city workshop on March 14 at the new middle school felt welcoming. Particularly notable was the number of former Mahoney Middle School graduates who spoke fondly of their alma mater and about their visions for repurposing their old school: definitely preserve the building and maintain the playing field still used by neighborhood kids and teams.
There was no general consensus among the over 100 citizens attending the workshop as to the best repurposing of Mahoney. However, many of us suggested converting the 93,000-square-foot historic building to workforce/low-income housing.
The most persuasive argument for this recommendation was made by a mother whose child attends Brown Elementary School in District 2. She said housing, not bussing, is the way to achieve diversity and economic equity for families in South Portland. She pointed out the disparities in resources and student achievement in East End elementary schools (Districts 1 and 2) and West End schools (Districts 4 and 5 with lower household incomes).
None of the many housing developments in Districts 1 or 2 has provided housing that service workers (now including teachers, firefighters, police officers, and even city department heads and managers) can afford.
Mahoney offers a rare opportunity for the city to transform city-owned property in a high income district into housing that is not market rate and that meets the needs of South Portland households and families.
Diane Gotelli
South Portland
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