TRENTON – The New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) has awarded a $24,400,000 construction contract to Dobco, Inc. for Paterson’s new Marshall Street Elementary School, which will provide 21st-century educational opportunities for 641 students in kindergarten through 8th grade and create/save approximately 375 jobs.

The school construction program is central to the state’s effort to mitigate the effects of the national recession. For 2009, the SDA has accelerated projects to advance Governor Jon S. Corzine’s Economic Assistance and Recovery Plan to spur the economy and generate jobs. Capital Plan projects worth $1.4 billion are being advanced into preliminary or full-scale construction in SDA Districts in 2009.

Under the Corzine administration, the SDA has completed 144 major construction projects overall: 127 in SDA Districts and an additional 17 in Regular Operating Districts (RODs). All told, the SDA has invested $5.293 billion in projects since January 2006, generating an estimated 45,800 jobs and impacting more than 45,000 students.

The new 108,700-square-foot facility will include 45 classrooms, including a computer lab, science demonstration laboratory and rooms for music and art. It will also have a 600-seat cafeteria/auditorium, a community room and playground. The project includes construction of a pedestrian bridge over a New Jersey Transit railroad line to allow for safe access to the school yard for students.

A key energy-saving, environmentally friendly feature will be the construction of 65 geothermal wells to supplement the heating and cooling system.

Design Ideas Group is the design firm for the Marshall Street Elementary School. Bovis Lend Lease is managing the project for the SDA.

Dobco, Inc., of Hawthorne, N.J., is a Small Business Enterprise. The contract awarded to Dobco, Inc., is $14,544,852 below the construction cost estimate of $38,944,852. The SDA issued a notice of award on September 29 for the contract, which was announced at the October 7 regular SDA board meeting.

The Marshall Street Elementary School project, scheduled to open in 2011, drew 13 bids. The award continues a recent trend in which the SDA has seen significant savings as greater competition has translated into lower bids.

This is the latest project for the New Jersey school construction program in Paterson. The new Roberto Clemente K-1 Center is under construction and scheduled to open in January 2010. Other new schools previously built in Paterson are International High School, PANTHER Academy and the Roberto Clemente Elementary School. An addition/revovation to Paterson Elementary School No. 24 has opened as well. Three more Paterson elementary schools – No. 3, No. 16 and No. 25 – are funded in the SDA’s Capital Plan.