Trenton, NJ (March 23, 2009) - The New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) has awarded a $19,580,048 construction contract to Martell Construction Co. Inc. and Tamburro Brothers Construction Co. Inc. for Pemberton Township’s new Early Childhood Center No. 1, which will provide 21st century educational opportunities for 640 students in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.

Martell and Tamburro will work on the project as a joint venture. The contract for the project, which drew 14 bids, is $5,384,613 below the construction cost estimate of $24,964,661. The number of bidders for the Pemberton project is without precedent for the SDA for a project of this scope. The award continues a recent trend in which the SDA has seen significant savings as greater competition has translated into lower bids.

The Pemberton ECC is estimated to save or create approximately 290 jobs over the life of the project.

"This school construction program has a beneficial effect in two areas,” said SDA CEO Kris Kolluri. “It is improving the quality of our children’s lives by providing safe, efficient and modern schools while also playing a significant role in stimulating the economy."

In January, the SDA awarded construction contracts for the Morgan Village Middle School in Camden and the Egg Harbor City Elementary/Middle School that were a combined $8.9 million below estimates.

The contract for the new Morgan Village school was $20,997,000, roughly $6.1 million below the construction cost estimate of $27,176,413. The contract went to Chanree Construction Co., Inc., of Ortley Beach.

The contract for the new Egg Harbor City school was $15,160,480, about $2.8 million below the construction cost estimate of $17,950,000. The successful bidder was Tamburro Bros. Construction Company Inc. of Millville.

The new, 88,170-square-foot one-story Pemberton Early Childhood Center No. 1 will be built on an 18-acre portion of a 63-acre former farmland site. The facility for 3-, 4- and 5-year olds will include 22 pre-kindergarten classrooms, 13 kindergarten classrooms and one special education pre-kindergarten classroom. It will also have a combination cafeteria/auditorium, a kitchen, a staff development center and administrative space, a playground area and parking. This is Pemberton’s first free-standing construction project built through the SDA. It is scheduled to open in January 2011. Under an agreement between the SDA and the State Agriculture Board, 45 acres of the site will be left undeveloped. This space will be used for educational farming activities, as approved by the Pemberton Township Board of Education.

The joint venture by Martell and Tamburro was selected from among the 14 bids submitted March 17 for the Pemberton project. The Design Collaborative is the design consultant for the project. Hill International is SDA’s construction management firm.

Construction projects like these in Pemberton Township, Camden and Egg Harbor City are key to Governor Corzine’s call for state agencies to accelerate investment to simultaneously invest in our children’s futures while stimulating economic growth.

The SDA will commit $1.3 billion toward school construction this year, which is estimated to save and create 11,000 jobs. The SDA plans to advance 27 projects into preliminary or full construction in 2009.

Overall the SDA has completed 592 projects: 46 new schools; 41 extensive additions, renovations and/or rehabilitations; three demonstration projects and nearly 400 other projects.