Prospect School

 

 

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Prospect School Bond Project Update- Spring 2012

What is the Prospect School Bond Project?

The Prospect School Bond Project is an $18,135,084 plan to renovate, expand and reopen Prospect School on Peninsula Boulevard as a districtwide kindergarten center. Voters approved the project after a public vote was held at the Alverta B. Gray Schultz Middle School on Tuesday, March 15, 2011. The final vote tally was 780 Yes, 153 No. The historical school building is slated to reopen as a state-of-the-art educational facility in September 2013. The total cost of this project will be completely funded through New York State Building Aid, Expanding our Children’s Education and Learning (EXCEL) Aid — which is a one-time grant from the state — and $500,000 the district already has allocated for this project, and it will not increase property taxes for district homeowners. The project is led by BBS Architects & Engineers and Elite Construction of New York.

What has been accomplished with the $18.1 million Prospect School Bond Project?
• Documentation of existing building conditions and utilities, and land survey were completed

• Soil borings and a geotechnical investigative report was completed

• Evaluation of the building’s window condition/operation was completed

• All of the planning, technical design, and architectural and engineering specifications and drawings have been completed

• The New York State Education Department approved the project’s architectural and engineering specifications

• The New York State Education Department issued the building (construction) permit to the district for the project

• The district removed the stored materials and building debris in the Prospect School

• The district performed the investigative demolition and review of existing structural components

• The district prepared the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan for submission to the Department of Environmental Conservation

• BBS Architects & Engineers submitted project plans to the local agencies (Health Department, Town of Hempstead and Village of Hempstead)

• Elite Construction of New York was selected as the construction firm to oversee the project

• The New York State Education Department granted the district permission to advertise in local newspapers for contractors to perform the work for the project

• The district published an advertisement for bidders through legal notices in Newsday and other local newspapers

• The project architects have reached out to local and minority contractors to encourage them to apply for jobs for the project, and the architects and construction manager will facilitate their participation in the project

• The district held two pre-bid meetings and walkthroughs with prospective contractors at the Prospect School site, which gave them an opportunity to view the physical condition of the building

• The district accepted bid proposals from prospective contractors on Wednesday, May 2, 2012

• The district’s construction manager and architects thoroughly investigated each prospective contractor’s history and credentials to ascertain the lowest responsible bidder

• The district met with each prospective low bidder to ensure that each bid was credible

• The district held a Board of Education meeting on Thursday, May 10, 2012 and contracts were awarded to the lowest responsible bidder

• The district hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at the Prospect School site on Monday, May 14, 2012

What is next in the Prospect School Bond Project?
• Active on-site physical construction for the project is scheduled to run from June 2012 to August 2013

• The Prospect School will be ready for occupancy for the opening of school in September 2013