|
Left to right:
Superintendent Joseph Ferraina, Senator Palaia, School Board President
Rose Widdis, EDA Executive Director Caren Franzini, Mark Turker,
representing DOE's Division of School Facilities and Student Transportation.
|
Long
Branch Roofing Projects Near Completion; Architects Chosen to Design New
Schools
Long Branch, NJ (December
11, 2001) – State and local officials announced today that roofing projects in six Long Branch schools are at or near completion and architects have been chosen to design the new elementary school, middle school and high school.
New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) Executive Director Caren Franzini and Senator Joseph Palaia joined Long Branch Superintendent Joseph M. Ferraina and Mayor Adam Schneider at the Elberon Elementary School to give an update on school construction progress made in the district under the Educational Facilities and Construction Act. Under the law, EDA is responsible for the construction and financing for school construction in the state's 30 special needs Abbott districts, following approval by the Department of Education.
"As the school construction program moves forward around the state, Long Branch stands as an example of how state and local officials can successfully work together to provide safe, quality schools for our children," said Franzini. "I am very proud of the progress made in Long Branch which is demonstrated – literally – by the new roof over our heads today."
Roofing projects at the Elberon Elementary School, Lenna W. Conrow Elemenatary School, Gregory Elementary School have been completed, and roofing work at the Audrey W. Clark Elementary will be completed by December 14. Roofing at the Long Branch High School is 60 percent complete, and roofing at the Long Branch Middle School is 50 percent complete. Both projects are scheduled to be complete by the end of January.
The new roofing at the Elberon Elementary School, the high school and middle school was designed by Seyffer & Sklar Architectural Group of Glen Rock and constructed by G & M Eastern Contracting of Asbury Park. The new roofing at the Conrow, Gregory and Clark schools was designed by Garrison Architects of Mount Laurel and constructed by Knight Contracting of Clarksburg. Bovis Lend Lease of Princeton is the project management firm overseeing the Long Branch roofing projects.
Further progress in the district is reflected by the EDA's approval of three architectural firms to design three new schools in the district. The EDA has executed agreements with the architectural firm of Tomaino, Tomaino and Iamello & Associates of Deal to design the new Long Branch Elementary School, and with EinhornYaffee Prescott Architecture of New York, NY, to design the new Long Branch Middle School. The EDA Board of Directors has also approved the selection of the DLR Group Architecture & Engineering of Regency Park, NE, to design the new Long Branch High School.
"All children deserve the best, and Long Branch Public Schools' children will soon have the opportunity to learn in state-of-the-art facilities thanks to the State of New Jersey Department of Education and the EDA," said Superintendent Ferraina. "Today's global economy demands that we graduate students who are technologically savvy, adept at problem solving and able to compete in a work environment that requires exceptional organizational skills and the ability to multi-task and set and achieve goals. To insure that we can do our jobs properly, school facilities need to reflect the demands of our times."
New Jersey Department of Education Commissioner Vito A. Gagliardi, Sr., said "I am pleased at the progress we have made on the health and safety school construction projects in Long Branch. Due to the efforts of the Department of Education, the Economic Development Authority and the Long Branch school district, the children of Long Branch will be attending school in a safe and secure environment. Our efforts to provide the children of Long Branch with a quality education in first class facilities continue as plans move forward to construct three new schools."
To date, the EDA has awarded contracts for the design of over $68.2 million in construction, and has awarded nearly $28.3 million in health and safety construction project contracts for improvements in nearly 50 school buildings around the state. EDA has approved the assignment of 36 architects' contracts for the design of 17 new schools and 19 school additions for an estimated construction cost of over $541.2 million.
The EDA has also executed 28 grant agreements with eight Abbott school districts totaling $7.6 million. (These grant agreements involve Abbott school districts facilities projects valued at $500,000 or less.) For more information about school construction, or EDA's economic development programs, visit www.njedaschools.com or www.njeda.com .
Top of Page
