Perkins School for the Blind Renovates With $4.1 Million MassDevelopment Bond

November 16, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Meggie Quackenbush, MassDevelopment, 617-330-2011 & 857-208-2777 (cell)
mquackenbush@massdevelopment.com

Janice Provencher, Perkins School for the Blind, 617-972-7360
Janice.Provencher@Perkins.org

MassDevelopment has issued a $4.1 million tax-exempt bond on behalf of Perkins School for the Blind, a Watertown educational service provider for individuals with visual impairment. Perkins is using bond proceeds to renovate two school buildings, including adding a second elevator and a universally accessible entrance; designing a new lunch room in the school’s Hilton building; and building and renovating classrooms and bathrooms and upgrading the HVAC system in its Howe Building. TD Bank purchased the bond.

“For nearly two centuries, Perkins School for the Blind has opened doors to education, employment and independence for people living with blindness and deafblindness,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Marty Jones. “MassDevelopment is pleased to support improvements to the school that will allow it to better serve its community in the years to come.”

Founded in 1829 as the nation’s first school for the blind, Perkins School for the Blind is a global educational service provider for those with visual impairment and multiple disabilities including deafblindness. Its five areas of focus are Perkins School for the Blind; Perkins International; Perkins Solutions; Perkins eLearning and Perkins Library, which support Perkins’ aspirational mission.

MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, works with businesses, nonprofits, financial institutions, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2016, MassDevelopment financed or managed 352 projects generating investment of more than $4 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are projected to create about 8,200 jobs and build or rehabilitate about 4,200 residential units.