TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) has awarded a $4,180,920 Construction Management contract to Cambridge Construction Management, Inc. and issued a Notice-to-Proceed with the management of the design-build construction of the new Perth Amboy High School project.

"The construction of the new Perth Amboy High School, the largest project ever undertaken by the SDA, will have a significant impact on the capacity issues that exist within the school district," said SDA CEO Manuel Da Silva. "SDA is continuing to deliver high-quality educational facilities for the students of New Jersey and this new school will favorably impact thousands of Perth Amboy students for generations to come. We look forward to our continued partnership with the Perth Amboy School District, local officials and our construction partners as we advance this project."'"

The construction of this highly anticipated school will result in a 576,000-square-foot facility for a maximum of 3,300 students in grades nine through twelve. The school will support three distinct educational programs within one facility. Some highlights of the educational spaces that the new school will feature include: general classrooms, science labs, a black box theater, art rooms, digital/graphics studios, a dance studio, communications/broadcasting lab, automotive lab, culinary arts lab, world languages classrooms, a language lab, a media center, main and auxiliary gymnasiums, ROTC classrooms, an auditorium, and cafeterias.

The new school will be constructed on an 11.63 acre site that was formerly the site of the Delaney Homes Public Housing development. The site was purchased from the Perth Amboy Housing Authority by Perth Amboy Public Schools in 2016. The Perth Amboy School District then managed early site preparation activities which were completed April 2018.

Utilizing practices that have proven successful, the new Perth Amboy High School will be constructed using a design-build approach, with the SDA Kit-of-Parts as its foundation. The design-build method differs from the traditional approach by allowing for some design and construction activities to proceed concurrently through phased advancement. For more information on SDA’s innovative approaches to design and construction efficiencies please go to www.njsda.gov

Cambridge Construction Management, Inc. of Clinton, New Jersey will work with the design-builder to deliver the new Perth Amboy High School. The SDA awarded a $247,950,000 Design-Build contract to the joint venture of Terminal Construction Corporation / Dinallo Construction Corporation to design and construct the new Perth Amboy High School. The Notice to Proceed with the initial design phase of the design-build project was issued on January 6, 2020. RSC Architects is part of the design-build team to design the school.

The initial design phase of the design-build contract is ongoing. Initial site work activities are currently forecasted to begin in Summer 2020. When this project moves into initial construction activities, SDA partners will be directed to follow current guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New Jersey Department of Health to help keep workers safe during this time. The building is anticipated for completion prior to the start of school in September 2024. The total estimated SDA project costs for the new school, inclusive of all previous expenditures and contingencies, is $283.8 million.

To date, the SDA has invested nearly $150 million in completed projects in Perth Amboy alone since the inception of the school construction program, including the recently opened Rose M. Lopez Elementary School. The SDA’s current portfolio of active projects is valued at over $2 billion – including the Capital Project portfolio, emergent projects and Regular Operating District grants.