Mamaroneck School Board to Weigh Rebuilding Murray Steps

A decision on what to do with the Murray Avenue School auditorium steps will be made at a later date.

That was the consensus of the Mamaroneck Union Free School District Board of Education at a recent meeting. It came after a presentation by the district's architects and a discussion of the functionality and historical significance of the stairs.

Work being done at the school now was part of a 2012 bond referendum and included the rebuilding of the retaining wall that surrounds much of the school as well as the steps leading up to the auditorium.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations Meryl Rubinstein said, as the work was being done this summer, that the contractor suggested alternative cost-saving operations.

"It made sense to consider the option of extending the retaining wall and replacing the larger, more expensive set of stairs with a smaller egress staircase while the equipment was on site this summer," she said.
The choices the district has is to replace the steps with usable green space and an extension of the retaining wall or to rebuild the steps in their original form.

District spokeswoman Debbie Manetta said that board members and community members said there was a perception that the steps were a "grand entrance" to the school and a historical landmark.

She said the stairs have been temporarily closed off, and the district will consider all options and obtain more feedback from the community and the State Historical Preservation Office.

(Photo caption: Murray Avenue School. Credit: Michael Woyton.)