Haverhill Awards Gateway Academy Lease Renewal at $386,696 Annual Rent

Haverhill has completed a five-year lease renewal for the former St. James School at 415 Primrose St., where Haverhill Public Schools operates Gateway Academy. The first-year annual rent is $386,696.

The City Council approved the renewal with the Archdiocese of Boston, and the City’s awarded-contract listing identifies it as RFP010.26, School Building Lease. The renewed term took effect July 1, 2026.

What the City record shows

Haverhill’s procurement record lists the Archdiocese of Boston as the awarded contractor for RFP010.26 and records a bid amount of $386,696. That is the annual rent for the first year of the renewal, not the total cost of the five-year agreement.

Gateway Academy’s official Haverhill Public Schools website lists the school at 415 Primrose Street and places it among the district’s alternative-education programs.

Rent increases during the renewal

The first-year payment is $9,431 higher than the previous annual rent of $377,265. The new annual rate began July 1.

Local reporting says the rent increases annually during the five-year renewal and reaches $426,840 in the final year. Because the annual payments change over the term, the first-year award amount should not be treated as the agreement’s full five-year cost.

What the lease supports

The renewal keeps Gateway Academy at the former St. James School facility. For Haverhill and its public schools, the immediate consequence is continued access to the building under an approved lease, paired with a higher school-building expense that is scheduled to rise during the renewal period.

Purchase idea remains separate

During the Council’s consideration of the renewal, Ward 3 Councilor Devan M. Ferreira suggested that Haverhill inquire about purchasing the building.

That suggestion is separate from the completed lease action. No building purchase is documented as approved in the sources reviewed. For now, Haverhill has renewed use of the property through the lease rather than acquiring it.

Sources

• City of Haverhill awarded-contract listing
• WHAV report on the Gateway Academy lease renewal
• Gateway Academy official school page