SDA Press Release - 02/26/2018
February 26, 2018
Schools Development Authority Celebrates Construction Milestone with Beam Signing Event in Irvington
"Today's beam signing ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate a major milestone in construction of the new Madison Avenue Elementary School, an educational facility that will provide Irvington students with the tools they need to compete in the 21st century," said SDA CEO Charles McKenna.
The new Madison Avenue Elementary School is being built on the site of the former school, which was demolished by the SDA in 2016. The new 73,000-square-foot elementary school is designed to educate approximately 500 students in grades pre-kindergarten through five. The school will include 26 general education classrooms, small group instruction rooms, a cafeteria, a multipurpose room with stage, music and art rooms, a science/computer lab, and a media center. The school also will have an outdoor play space that includes a basketball/volleyball court and running track. The facility is currently scheduled to open to students in September 2019.
"I am so excited about the endless educational possibilities that await Irvington students as they journey through the halls of the new Madison Avenue Elementary School," said Dr. Neely Hackett, Irvington Superintendent.
The school is being built using the design-build approach. This method differs from the traditional approach in that SDA contracts with one firm for both design and construction of a school facilities project. The design-build method also allows for some design and construction activities to proceed concurrently through phased advancement, an approach that potentially allows for improvement upon the original overall schedule.
Ernest Bock & Sons, Inc. of Philadelphia, PA was awarded a $26.8 million design-build contract for the design and construction of the school. As part of the design-build contract, Ernest Bock & Sons, Inc. is working with SSP Architectural Group of Bridgewater on the design. EPIC Management of Piscataway is the construction manager on the project. The total estimated project cost is $38.6 million.
The SDA has invested more than $113 million in completed projects in Irvington alone since the inception of the school construction program. This includes one new school (Mt. Vernon Elementary School) and three capital improvement projects (Augusta Elementary School and two projects at University Six School). Its current portfolio of active projects is valued at approximately $2 billion – including the Capital Project portfolio, emergent projects, and Regular Operating District grants.
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