New Jersey Schools Development Authority Awards Contract for New High School
Trenton, N.J. – The New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) announced today it has awarded a $2.6-million construction management contract to CBRE Heery, Inc. of Philadelphia for the construction of the new $133-million Camden High School in Camden. The SDA Board of Directors approved this award at its January 2nd Board Meeting.
“A new Camden High School will provide the city with a modern, innovative, educational environment that will help Camden Students reach for their dreams,” said Lizette Delgado Polanco, SDA CEO. “Together with the Camden School District, local officials and the community, we will fulfill the SDA’s commitment of positively impacting the lives of the students in Camden through the construction of this new high school.”
The new Camden High School will be approximately 270,000-square-foot, two-story education complex, educating more than 1,200 students in grades 9 through 12. The school will include four small learning communities, gymnasiums, cafeteria, auditorium, and media center, among many of its state-of-the-art amenities.
The project will be completed in two phases and is estimated to create approximately 1,000 construction and ancillary jobs. The first phase, demolition of the former Camden High School and associated site work, is complete. The second phase began in October with the commencement of the design-build contract which was awarded to Ernest Bock & Sons of Philadelphia. Construction activities are scheduled to begin this Spring, and the new school is scheduled to open to students in September of 2021.
On December 11, the SDA held a community information session in Camden, where we provided parents, teachers, area residents, stakeholder groups and businesses with further detail about the project and career opportunities for local workers that will be available during the construction.
“We are very excited to work again with the NJSDA as construction manager for the new Camden High School,” said Bob Monser, CBRE | Heery Managing Director. “As construction manager, we will help the contractor complete the project on-time and on-budget,” he added.
To date, the SDA has invested more than $260 million in completed projects in Camden including five Capital projects and 58 health and safety/grant/emergent projects. The SDA’s current portfolio of active projects is valued at over $2 billion—including the Capital Project portfolio, emergent projects, and Regular Operating District grants.
CBRE | Heery, is a full-service program management, construction management, architecture, interior design, engineering, and commissioning firm. The firm will be working with the design-build contractor Ernest Bock and Sons, Inc., and architect Design Ideas Group Architecture + Planning, LLC on this important project.