Rockland Trust has provided $1.5 million in financing for the Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School in Waltham.

The college preparatory school will use the funds to purchase and renovate the vacant Waltham Covenant Congregational Church on Lexington Street. School officials plan to renovate the historic building and convert it into a new hall for its visual and performing arts department. The project is scheduled to begin this winter and open for use in fall 2012.

"Providing financing to the Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School supports one of our core philosophies of strengthening the communities in which we work and live," said Rockland Trust President and CEO Christopher Oddleifson. "Rockland Trust is proud to be able to help provide these students with an improved educational experience in the visual and performing arts."

Students at the school used the church’s performance space prior to the Covenant Congregational Church closing in December 2010. Project plans call for the construction of a 200-seat auditorium, as well as classroom and administrative space, expanded parking and the development of a trail that runs from the performance hall to the school’s main campus.

"We are very excited about this project," said Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School Head of School Lance Conrad. "This recent acquisition enables us to expand our campus while also providing our students with a space for ongoing transformational experiences in academic pursuits, student life, and especially the performing arts. We are glad that Rockland Trust has seen the value of this investment and is our partner in financing this important project."