NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY HOLDS CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS CEREMONY AT NEW CAMDEN HIGH SCHOOL SITE

June 20, 2019 - CAMDEN, NJ – New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) Interim CEO Manuel Da Silva joined Camden School District Superintendent Katrina McCombs, Department of Education officials, students and school/elected officials yesterday for a construction progress ceremony at the site of the new Camden High School.

“We’ve seen great progress in Camden and this project is just one of many steps in the right direction for the city," said Governor Phil Murphy. "Education is the foundation for sustainable economic growth and a brighter future. I am proud that my Administration is working together with the community to invest in Camden's children.”

The new Camden High School will be an approximately 270,000 square-foot, two-story educational complex, designed to educate approximately 1,200 students in grades 9 through 12. It is being advanced through a Design-Build delivery approach and its total project cost is estimated at $132.6 million.

“This event marks an important milestone in the construction of Camden High School and in the Murphy Administration’s strong commitment to the citizens of Camden,” said Da Silva. “The SDA, in collaboration with the Camden School District, is extremely excited and proud to advance a project that seeks to preserve Camden High School’s rich history, while delivering a state-of-the-art facility designed to provide Camden students with a thorough and efficient education.”

The project will be completed in two phases and is estimated to create approximately 1,000 construction and ancillary jobs over the course of the project. The first phase, the demolition of the former Camden High School and associated site work, has been completed. The second phase, now underway, includes construction of the new school, which is scheduled to open to students in September 2021. New school construction work has reached the significant stage of steel structure erection.

“This project is an example of the tremendous energy that’s occurring in Camden,” said Dr. Lamont O. Repollet, Commissioner of Education. “It's truly a partnership when so many stakeholders – the Department of Education, the Schools Development Authority, and the parents, educators and community leaders in Camden – all rally around the students, and what's best for their education.”

“Beyond the bricks and mortar, Wednesday’s event signifies an investment in our City, our residents and Camden youth,” said Camden Mayor Frank Moran. “It also brings with it the promise of opportunity and the promise of a bright future for our residents and for future generations of Camden residents. It’s an opportunity for students to receive a quality education, which can help propel them to college or university or a career. Students will now be able to blaze their own path and build upon the rich history of the new Camden High School.”

“Words cannot express the magnitude of hope, anticipation and excitement I carry concerning the remarkable rebuild of Camden High,” said McCombs. “As a former student, I enjoyed the legacy and glory years of Camden High. However, the old structure was a failing structure for our students. This new construction promises to exceed not just my expectations but also those of many as a learning center that is truly 21st century. Our students from four of our current high schools will have an incredible opportunity to be a part of the founding class of the New Castle on the Hill. With high anticipation, I am truly looking forward to the fall of 2021 when the doors to the new High are open.”

Ernest Bock & Sons, Inc. was awarded the design-build contract for this important project, with Design Ideas Group Architecture + Planning, LLC as the architects and CBRE | Heery as the construction manager.

To date, the SDA has invested more than $264 million in completed projects in Camden alone, including five Capital projects and 59 health and safety/grant/emergent projects.

About the New Jersey Schools Development Authority

The SDA is the State agency responsible for fully funding and managing the new construction, modernization and renovation of school facilities projects in 31 SDA Districts. Its current portfolio of active projects is valued at approximately $2 billion – including the Capital Project portfolio, emergent projects and Regular Operating District grants. Since the program's inception, the SDA has provided funding for and management oversight of more than 850 completed school facilities projects in SDA Districts and has executed more than 5,400 grants for Regular Operating Districts throughout the State of New Jersey. For more information about the SDA, please visit our website at: www.njsda.gov or follow us on social media at: Facebook; Instagram; LinkedIn; or Twitter.