Well underway and on schedule albeit very early in the process, a formal groundbreaking ceremony for the Martin Middle School renovation project was held on the Brown Street grounds Tuesday morning, April 9.

The $117,685,680 endeavor, a bond for which was approved by voters at the 2022 mid-term election, actually started in earnest late last summer and just prior to the start of the current 2023-24 term.

The north end of the building was remediated and main office staff repositioned in anticipation of demolition, which began a month or so ago. In its place will be a new, modern three-story classroom structure housing most of the academic elements of the school.

Much of the middle section of the original building finished in 1977, including the gymnasium and auditorium, will remain.

The south end of the structure will also be significantly remodeled to serve as the future home for the district's entire Pre-Kindergarten program.

The 2022 election referendum, which sought upwards of $148 million for repairs to district schools, also includes monies for significant renovations to the Waddington Elementary School in Riverside.

A total of $17,352,801 is earmarked for remodeling most of the classroom space for that structure as well. Shawmut construction is lead the contractor for both projects.

The Waddington portion is expected to begin in earnest at the conclusion of the '23-24 term in June.

Last Tuesday, Superintendent of East Providence Schools Dr. Sandra Forand was among the dignitaries to speak at the groundbreaking event.

Current Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore, formerly a key member of General Assembly leadership while serving as the city's District 65 representative in the Rhode Island House, also offered up remarks.

Amore's position at the time in the State House helped the city secure nearly $100 million in funding for the new East Providence High School project, which voters approved in 2018 and opened in the summer of 2021.

In addition, Mario Carreno, the Chief Operating Officer at the Rhode Island Department of Education, spoke to the gathering Tuesday as did Joel Monteiro, the former School Committee At-Large member and chairman who again is serving as co-chair of the district's Building Committee as he did previously during the new EPHS project beginning in 2019.

A review of all schools around the state initiated by RIDE in 2016 deemed the old EPHS, MMS and Waddington buildings in dire need of replacement of repair.

Martin was of particular concern to state officials and construction experts, who declared the structure to be among the one or two worst in Rhode Island.

As was the case when city voters went to the polls in 2018, another $250 million-worth of school construction bond money approved by the state-wide electorate at the same November 2022 vote.

This time around, East Providence could be reimbursed by the state upwards of 68.5 percent on a large portion of the MMS and Waddington project costs. The district was reimbursed at a rate of 74.5 percent for the new EPHS. Since, the city's economic demographics have improved, leading to the lower rate of reimbursement.

— East Providence Post and eastbayri.com staff photographer Rich Dionne shot the accompanying gallery of photos.