Remediation Work Set to Begin at King/Jefferson School Site

The remediation work is expected to be completed by summer 2007, and the construction of a new school would begin shortly thereafter. The goal, under an accelerated construction timetable, is to open the new Martin Luther King Jr./Jefferson Elementary School for 800 students in pre-kindergarten through 8th grade by August 2009.

"That is our target date, and all resources will be concentrated on achieving that goal, for the benefit of the students, the community and the school district," said Weiner, who also is Governor Jon Corzine's special counsel to school construction.

Initial work will entail drilling, boring and testing of the soil in preparation for the remobilization of laborers at the Brunswick Avenue site. Silt fencing and soil erosion control measures will be upgraded, a truck wheel decontamination station will be set up, and flags and stakes will be installed to mark off the area to be remediated.

Turner Construction Company will do the remediation work in compliance with the directives of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. Turner's job performance will be closely monitored by an independent third party, Weiner said.

Meanwhile, the SCC is in the process of preparing bid documents to secure another contractor to begin building the new school once the remediation is completed

After studying all options, the SCC determined using Turner for the remediation stage was "an appropriate and expeditious approach" to move the project forward, Weiner said.

"This approach also is the most cost-effective way of doing this," Weiner said.

"Simply put, this is the fastest way to get this done, while at the same time ensuring that all appropriate safety precautions are being taken," he said.

Weiner will confer weekly with Robert Revelle, the president of the Trenton Board of Education, to discuss the progress of the work. The SCC also will meet regularly with other school district and city officials.

Moreover, the SCC will host monthly community forums to keep neighborhood residents informed throughout the remediation process and the construction of a new school.

"My SCC colleagues and I recognize, and understand, the concerns of the community. As we move forward, it is our intent to earn back the trust of the community, and get on with the job of building a new school," Weiner said.

On May 19, the SCC formally notified Turner it had 10 days to comply with SCC contractual obligations or face termination. The SCC extended the deadline several times while it negotiated with Turner, which agreed to conditions set forth by the SCC. Under the terms of the agreement, the cost of the remediation work will be split by the SCC and Turner without assessing responsibility on either side. The SCC intends to pursue any and all further remedies against Turner and all other parties involved.