Historic Howe School Renovation on Track for September Completion as BATV Home

BILLERICA — April 13, 2022 — Billerica's historic Howe School building is on track for a September 2022 completion as the future home of public-access station BATV. Town Manager John Cameron led a filmed walkthrough of the ongoing renovation on April 13, describing a project funded through a combination of Community Preservation Act proceeds, a Town Meeting appropriation, and Verizon and Comcast cable franchise revenues. The building's exterior has been fully repointed and re-windowed, and a rear addition provides both expanded BATV space and the building's first ADA-compliant access. Interior spaces include a climate-controlled historic archive in a new sub-basement, a column-free community event room on the main floor, and a full broadcast studio with control room and edit suites on the upper level. Cameron credited general contractor BC Construction and said the project had overcome early foundation challenges. "Everybody's been working hard — BC Construction, BATV, and the town," he said. "It looks like that's where we're going."