By Lindsey Coulter

GARFIELD, N.J. — Construction is officially underway on the new $87.6 million Woodrow Wilson School No. 5 in Garfield. Leaders from the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) joined Garfield School District, State, and local officials last week at a groundbreaking for the new��campus, which will help to reduce overcrowding throughout the district. ��

“As we mark the start of construction for a state-of-the-art school, together we begin a new chapter in the education of Garfield students,” said SDA CEO Manuel Da Silva at the event. “The State’s investment in school infrastructure projects and the work of the SDA have a lasting impact on students in Garfield and throughout New Jersey. Through our shared vision and ongoing collaboration with the school district, city, state, and contracting partners, the Garfield community can begin to envision the school building that will rise on this site in the coming months.” ��

The new school will be an approximately 132,000-square-foot, four-story facility will serve a maximum of 850 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. In addition to general classrooms and kindergarten classrooms, the school will include a vocal music room, an instrumental lesson room, an art room with a kiln, a STEAM lab, a media center, a cafeteria, a multi-purpose room and a gymnasium. As a result of SDA’s commitment to building energy-efficient buildings that consider the surrounding environment, this school will be built to receive LEED Silver certification��from the United States GWoodrow Wilson School No. 5reen Building Council.��

The school is advancing using a design-build approach. The design-build method differs from the traditional design-bid-build approach by allowing the SDA to contract with one firm for both design and construction of a school facilities project. Dobco Inc. was awarded a design-build contract for the design and construction of the new school. As part of the contract, Dobco is working with NK Architects, P.A. on the design. Anser Advisory, part of Accenture, is managing the project. ��

In a message to the district, Tony Lio, Chief Construction Officer for the district, said that the project ‘has been a true collaboration, with the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (NJSDA), city and county officials, Educators, Architects, and myself working together to create a space that will foster maximum learning for our students and staff.” ��

Once complete, the school will be the fourth Capital Project completed by the SDA in Garfield since the inception of the school construction program. The SDA previously invested more than $97 million in completed projects in the Garfield School District. ��

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. Woodrow Wilson School No. 5 is one of multiple active projects in the SDA portfolio, which is valued at approximately $2 billion – including the Capital Project portfolio, emergent projects and Regular Operating District grants.��

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UNION CITY, N.J.—Personnel from the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) joined civic officials for the groundbreaking of a new school that, when completed, will be used to educate students in grades 7 through 9. The school is needed due to overcrowding in this city located across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

The to-be-named school will encompass approximately 132,000 square feet of educational space over its six stories. Nearly 1,000 students will be educated in traditional classrooms as well as science laboratories, art rooms, robotics lab, music room, dance studio and even a rooftop environmental lab. The school will also host a gymnasium, cafetorium and modern media center.

Dobco, Inc. is tackling the design-build contract for the new school. Their partners on the job include designer NK Architects, P.A. and manager Anser Advisory. The project is seeking to attain LEED Silver certification.

“As we stand alongside our partners today, together we break ground for a state-of-the-art school that will provide Union City students with an educational facility that will help prepare them for high school and the future,” SDA CEO Manuel Da Silva said during the groundbreaking. “The new and renovated facilities delivered by the SDA in communities such as Union City are vital to ensuring all New Jersey students have access to the resources needed to succeed.

“We look forward to our continued partnership with the school district, city, and construction partners as this project advances through the construction phase.”

When the school opens, it will be the sixth Capital Project completed by the SDA in Union City since the school construction program commenced.

“With the help and support of Governor [Phil] Murphy and our Mayor and State Senator Brian P. Stack, we are honored that this SDA-funded new school facility will provide highquality education for future generations of our Union City students,” added Silvia Abbato, Superintendent of Union City Schools.

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