The Scoop on Our Multipurpose Building

It seems many years in the making, but we are finally ready to begin construction of our new multi purpose building. Our building design was finalized this spring. With a lot of research, brainstorming, design and planning and months and months of meetings, we are finally ready. Approval has been granted by the town to commence the project later this spring.

A great deal of thought has gone into the selection of a start date for construction. Our main goal is to minimize disruption to our summer school session. Starting the project now will eliminate the disruption of the next two summer seasons. We feel this is the best path to take. Safety of our students and staff is paramount. With this in mind, we have worked together with our construction company, Ford Construction to develop a plan that creates the least impact on our facilities. Safety guidelines and methods have been drawn up and finalized. We might look a bit messy this summer, but let us assure you we will run a safe, efficient and fun ship! Most important of all, your children will have fun.

For those of you who are new to DBMS or do not yet know about our Multi-purpose Building Plan, this vision came into being under Ned Lawson’s leadership. It became apparent over the years, as the number of students and equipment to serve them grew, that something needed to be done to bring our campus infrastructure into the twenty-first century. If you have ever looked closely at our main office building or even wandered into the sailing and rowing changing rooms, you would see there is a lot to be desired (and much of it condemnable). We need to provide our students, both young and old, with an adequate and clean facility in good condition that will also be a vital waterfront resource for Duxbury and surrounding communities. We offer top notch instruction in rowing and sailing and our campus should reflect this by providing clean, safe, and comfortable facilities. Come down to visit us and we know that you will agree.

The new building will be located on the site of the existing large metal shed on the east side of the Ellison campus and will be designed to accommodate all of the school’s needs for additional space. The building will have two principal components. The first is a new two story boat shed that will be constructed on the footprint of the existing shed. The first floor will be slightly above the present grade and will create a single large space that can be subdivided for program purposes. The area will be designed to minimize noise levels and to provide an attractive area for large gatherings. During the winter, the space will be available for boat storage. The east end of the second floor will be finished for program use and will provide wonderful views of the Bay. The remainder of the floor will be used for boat and equipment storage and will provide sufficient space for future program and/or administrative expansion.

The second component is a wing that will be constructed on pilings to the south of the new shed. The wing will house multi-purpose function and class rooms, a large erg training room, bathrooms, changing areas, a kitchen and administrative offices. A large multiple use area will open onto a deck overlooking Snug Harbor. We think you will agree that this will make our school an even more wonderful place to be.

The New Building Will Offer

  • Appropriate indoor space for programs and classes, high school teams, meetings and social functions.
  • Accessible office and reception space that allows DBMS staff to serve constituents and students more efficiently.
  • Facilities that are fully accessible for participants in ACCESSAIL .
  • Ample space for off-season classes.
  • Adequate changing room facilities for the 100+ participants in high school sailing and rowing during the spring and fall.
  • Facilities for social functions including a large, multi-purpose, weatherproof indoor space, a multiple use covered deck area overlooking Snug Harbor, a kitchen, and indoor bathrooms.
  • Indoor storage space for boats and equipment that will eliminate the use of storage containers and protect the DBMS fleet during the winter.
  • New space for the indoor rowing program that provides a spectacular view of Duxbury Bay.
  • A safer and more attractive entrance from Washington Street including a sidewalk for pedestrians with a better connection between the Snug Harbor commercial area and Duxbury Bay.
  • Enhanced traffic flow that will help to eliminate the periodic congestion caused by carpool lines.
  • Additional parking for visitors, DBMS staff and students.

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