|
|
|
City of Vineland Breaks Ground For Community School Demonstration Project
|
|
State Funding $50 Million Educational Facility
To Serve as Cornerstone of Downtown Revitalization
|
|
Vineland, NJ (May 21, 2005) - The first of six state Demonstration Projects got under way today with a groundbreaking ceremony for the Vineland Community School, a $50 million state-of-the-art facility designed to be the cornerstone of revitalization efforts in the downtown area of this Cumberland County city.
The 126,000-square-foot Vineland Community School - being built on a 9.7-acre campus off Southeast Boulevard and Montrose Street - will include 46 classrooms to accommodate over 830 pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade students. The school also will feature community health and social services, adult education and recreational facilities. The school project, targeted for completion by January 2007, is being funded by the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation (SCC), which oversees the state's $8.6 billion school construction program.
|
|
|
The 90-minute groundbreaking event was attended by students and educators of the Vineland School District, local and state officials, representatives of the SCC and the project co-developers Tri-County Community Action Partnership, Cumberland Empowerment Zone Corporation and Joseph Jingoli & Son.
Jerry Murphy, SCC Chief Operating Officer, remarked, "Through the Demonstration Projects here in Vineland and elsewhere throughout the State, we are building community-oriented, 21st century schools that will spur a resurgence of growth and economic revitalization within urban neighborhoods." Murphy noted the five other Demonstration Projects on tap are for Camden, Trenton, New Brunswick, East Orange and Union City.
|
|
|
Dr. Clarence C. Hoover, III
Superintendent of Schools
|
New Jersey's six Demonstration Projects, approved last June, are designed as community development initiatives, with schools serving as a community anchor. State and city agencies work cooperatively to provide children with safe, modern classrooms while maximizing urban renewal efforts. Community design features - such as athletic venues, auditoriums, media centers accessible to students and residents alike - are key components of the program. The demonstration projects serve as a catalyst for private investment to revitalize urban communities with new housing and retail opportunities.
|
|
|
Perry D. Barse, Mayor City of Vineland
|
SCC funds school construction components of the demonstration projects. The project team members are put together by the city, and all projects are subject to intense public input and planning by the school district, community and municipal representatives. A city-named redevelopment authority manages the demonstration project and enters into an agreement with a redeveloper - typically from the private sector - that is responsible for completing the project. Any contractors hired for the construction project are selected on a competitive basis. Throughout the process, SCC reviews all costs before any work is authorized and monitors the project to its completion.
|
|
|
