Ground Broken for New Jersey Charter School

Friends of BelovED Community Charter School 2, Inc. (Friends 2) and the project team of Urbahn Architects and construction manager Hollister Construction Services have broken ground for the new BelovED Community Charter School’s Middle School building. The new school will be situated on a half-acre parcel of land in Jersey City, N.J. New Jersey Community Capital and Provident Bank have provided construction financing of $12.5 million for the project.

BelovED Charter School

BelovED Community Charter School (“BelovED”) is named in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of the “Beloved Community.” The school currently serves 960 students.

The building’s façade will feature Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS), a non-load bearing, exterior wall cladding on steel studs, with Batt insulation. Energy efficiency will be also improved by thermally- proficient low emissivity (low-e) windows with high visible transmittance (VT) properties that will allow increased amounts of natural light into the school’s interiors.

The construction team will address several logistical and technical challenges, including working on a small site with almost full lot coverage by the building and elevated playground, which prevents storage of materials on site. Hollister will carefully pre-plan and schedule deliveries of all materials to be trucked in as needed for immediate installation. In addition, the crews will work in close proximity to existing townhouses. In order to eliminate any impact on the neighboring properties, construction workers will pre-auger all piles, removing the need for prolonged, vibration-inducing pile driving.

Featured

  • Missouri Child Development Center Completes $2.3M Expansion

    The Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in St. Louis, Mo., recently announced the completion of a $2.3-million expansion and adaptive reuse project, according to a news release. The new space includes a retail café, outdoor learning space, and a support office building.

  • Wold Completes Geothermal Projects at Two Minnesota Schools

    Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has completed two geothermal expansion projects for Mounds View Public Schools in Shoreview, Minn., according to a news release. The work at Highview Middle School and Irondale High School serves the district’s long-term goal of reducing energy costs and dependency on non-renewable fuel sources, as well as improving building performance.

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • Carnegie Mellon University Receives $3B Gift to Launch New Campus

    Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Penn., recently announced that it has received $3 billion—the largest individual gift in higher education history—from Citadel CEO and founder Ken Griffin, according to a news release.