Expansion Begins on Arts High School in New Jersey

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — The New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) broke ground Nov. 3 on an addition and renovation at the Paul Robeson Community School for the Arts in New Brunswick. Once complete, the 60,000-square –foot project will double the school’s capacity.

SDA CEO Charles McKenna joined New Brunswick School District students and leaders to mark the construction milestone. “The [Gov. Chris] Christie Administration’s commitment to improving New Jersey’s educational infrastructure and the productive partnerships we enjoy with New Brunswick school and local officials have ensured that the students of the Robeson Community School for the Arts will have a learning center equipped with the tools needed to help them achieve greatness,” McKenna said in a statement.

The three-story addition will include a new multi-purpose room, 30 additional classrooms, four small instruction rooms and two Basic Skills/ESL classrooms, according to a statement by the SDA. The 59,400 square-foot existing school will be upgraded as well to include a new fire sprinkler system and the renovation and rearrangement of spaces such as the food service area, media center, classrooms, nurse’s office, main office and student services suite.

“This ground-breaking event represents the beginning of a wonderful project that, by adding capacity to New Brunswick’s growing school community, will address the needs of our students for years to come,” said Dr. Aubrey Johnson, superintendent of New Brunswick Public Schools, in a statement.

The new addition is being built using the design-build approach, which 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, according to a statement by the SDA.

Hall Construction Company Inc. of Farmingdale, N.J., was awarded a $32 million design-build contract for the design and construction of the project. As part of the contract, Hall Construction Company Inc. will work with Paulus, Sokolowski & Sartor Engineering PC of Warren, N.J., to perform the design. Greyhawk North America LLC of Mount Laurel, N.J., is the construction manager for the project.

The project is estimated to cost approximately $47 million. The school is anticipated for student occupancy in September 2018.