A design rendering illustrates an exterior view of Salvatore N. Lupoli’s downtown Haverhill project called The Heights. (Courtesy photograph)
The Northern Essex Community College culinary school just received a major amount of dough from donors: A $500,000 contribution from the Lupoli family, the school announced last week.
Donated as seed money to fund an anticipated $1 million endowment, the initial contribution was made in honor of developer Salvatore N. Lupoli’s parents, Nicholas and Jeannette Lupoli and his brother James. The money is earmarked to support the creation of the Lupoli Family School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts. A portion of the funds will go to hiring a lead faculty member for the program that bears the family name.
“My family is honored to partner with Northern Essex Community College in their efforts to ensure that all students have equal access to a quality education,” Salvatore Lupoli said in a statement. “As I close my eyes each night, I reflect upon my purpose to make my mother, father and brother proud of what Lupoli Companies was able to accomplish by focusing on family, education and culture.”
The culinary school—which Northern Essex President Lane Glenn hopes will rival Rhode Island’s Johnson and Wales—will occupy two floors of Lupoli’s 10-story Haverhill Heights complex on downtown’s Merrimack Street. In addition to classrooms and a test kitchen, a planned restaurant will allow budding chefs to hone their skills in a real world setting. The school has the capability to service up to 200 students, who would receive a variety of certifications, including associate degrees.
Lupoli developed and funded a similar culinary hub at the Lawrence Riverwalk satellite campus of Northern Essex 10 years ago.