By Fay Harvey
REVERE, Mass. — The site that once housed Revere’s Wonderland Dog Track, built in 1935, will soon be the home of a new 422,600-square-foot high school.
Set to begin construction this year, the $493 million project is twice as large as the community’s current high school. When complete in fall 2028, it will be a state-of-the art space for academics, athletics and community engagement for more than 2,400 students.
The project, designed by Boston-based architecture firm Perkins Eastman and overseen by Boston-based project management firm LeftField, aims to create a uniform campus with diverse facilities that will support a wide range of activities and programs. The school’s nucleus is a flexible, three-story space with a 1,000-person capacity that will serve as an auditorium, gymnasium and cafeteria. The space will be an asset for entertainment and extracurricular activities, including Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps events and vocational programs.
A new four-story wing will house the high school’s main academic classrooms as well as support services, a media center and specialty classes. A separate first-year academy building with its own cafeteria will help ninth grade students who are new to high school adapt to the academic environment. Recreation areas include a field that can serve the soccer and baseball programs as well as tennis courts. Other exterior spaces include a drop-off area for cars and buses.
The school’s foundation will be elevated for flood protection purposes. Capitalizing on this unique design, space below the school will be made into an underground parking facility with space for 650 vehicles. Approximately 350 spaces will be reserved for teachers and staff members.
In 2022, Revere officials approved a $29.5 million expenditure to acquire the 30-acre Wonderland property through eminent domain. After securing the land, the project’s location was approved in February 2024 by Revere’s city council in a 10-1 vote.
“I am happy to get the ball rolling on the Revere High School project,” said Mayor Patrick M. Keefe Jr. in a statement regarding the approval. “It is important that the Wonderland site is secured, so we can work expeditiously to meet our ambitious timeline goals with this project. This is an important milestone that marks the beginning of a long-sought project that benefits students, teachers, and the community at large.”
To help cover construction costs, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has committed to reimbursing the city for a portion of the expenses. The project is currently on budget, and the design phase is slated for completion in July. The design team was able to submit its development package to the MSBA without needing to make major changes.
Next steps include putting out a bid for site demolition, which will remove the old clubhouse foundation, dog track and utilities. Once the site work is completed, two independent estimators will review costs to confirm that the project remains financially on track before foundation and structural building begins by September. Final construction documents will be completed by the end of the year.