On a windy morning in late October, community and religious leaders gathered at the former Resurrection Grade School in Brookline for a rather unusual "wall-smashing" ceremony to officially kick off a renovation project to give new life to the empty school building.

Next fall (2004), this 1909 landmark, which for several decades housed the Resurrection Church as well as the school, will be open as Creedmoor Court, a 26-unit non-assisted apartment complex for income-eligible seniors. The Creedmoor Court Board of Directors recognize a responsibility to provide seniors with affordable, safe housing, and this transformation will enhance the quaility of life for many in the Brookline community.

While several years have elapsed between concept and construction, the directors look back in amazement that the linchpin in this $3 million construction project involved something as simple as a lenten fish fry.

Several years ago at a parish fish dinner, then-pastor Reverend Joseph Grosko spoke with Mayor Tom Murphy. He explained his desire to put the empty but serviceable building to good use and also to be relieved of the structures upkeep costs. Mayor Murphy intervened by putting Rev. Grosko in touch with Ralph Falbo, a developer with tremendous expertise in making senior highrise projects a reality.

Sponsored by Christian Housing Inc., a western Pennsylvania-based non-profit corporation that helps parishes develop subsidized housing for the elderly on church properties, and assisted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Redevelopment (HUD), the transformation of the old school building began.

The apartments at Creedmoor Court will be available for seniors 62 and older and will follow HUD guidelines for income eligibility. Overseeing the project is Ralph A. Falbo, Inc, as housing consultant. The architects are Landmarks Design Associates, Inc. and the main contractor is Sota Construction.

The new apartment complex features a courtyard in the middle of its four wings and is close to the shops on Brookline Boulevard and to the public transportation network. The old school building was the site of the church from 1910 until 1939, and from 1912 through 1996 was the area's largest parochial school.

The idea of having the old church/school property now serving the elderly in this capacity is in keeping with the parishes commitment to the Brookline senior community.

"We all recognize a responsibility to care for our senior citizens, to make sure they receive affordable, safe housing," said Father Frank Mitolo, pastor of the Church of the Resurrection and head of the Creedmoor Court board.

We're thrilled to find a new use for the building that now allows us to carry out our mission to serve the elderly," he said. "The transformation will allow seniors to remain in a familiar neighborhood, surrounded by the people and places they know and love."