Schools Development Authority Officials Break Ground for New Kennedy Elementary School in Harrison

Harrison, NJ – New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) Chief of Staff Albert Alvarez joined Harrison School District and local officials today to break ground for the new Kennedy Elementary School. Once completed, the school will be the third new facility built by the SDA in Harrison.

"I am excited to join the Harrison community to break ground for this new school. SDA is working closely with our contracting partners so that the students can be in their new, state of the art school as soon as possible," said SDA Chief of Staff Albert Alvarez.

The new 65,500 square-foot Kennedy Elementary School will provide the Harrison School District with space to educate 392 students in grades Pre-K to one. The school will include 20 general classrooms, two self-contained special education classrooms, as well as a cafetorium, gymnasium, and necessary support spaces.

"We are very excited that the Harrison School District will have a new school that will not only fill the deficit in our facilities, but will afford our kindergarteners and first graders the classroom space they need to develop socially, emotionally and academically," said Dr. Baumgartner, Harrison's Interim Superintendent.

Dr. Doran, Harrison's previous Superintendent and current Director stated, "We have been working diligently with the NJSDA for the past few years planning this new school and feel that this project will add significant improvements to the district's Educational Program."

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 allows for improvement upon the original overall schedule.

Brockwell & Carrington was awarded a $25.5 million design-build contract for the design and construction of the school. As part of the design-build contract, FVHD Architects of Ewing Township is finalizing the design for the new school. Joseph Jingoli & Sons Inc. of Lawrenceville is construction manager for the project. The total estimated project cost is $36 million.

The SDA has invested more than $121.7 million in completed projects in Harrison alone since the inception of the school construction program. Its current portfolio of active projects is valued at approximately $2 billion – including the Capital Project portfolio, emergent projects, and Regular Operating District grants.