NY School and Community Center Builder selected

NEW YORK — Tishman Construction was selected as the construction manager for Harlem Children’s Zone’s new $100 million Promise Academy Charter School and community center at St. Nicholas Houses in upper Manhattan.

 

The five-story, 135,000-square-foot facility is designed to accommodate 1,300 K-12 students and will offer a range of student and adult services. 

 

The facility, which is scheduled to open in time for the 2012-13 school year, will house a community center and the Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy I, currently located in the Harlem Children’s Zone headquarter and at PS 175.

 

Tishman previously served as construction manager on a 92,000-square-foot facility at the Harlem Children’s Zone in 2006 that allowed the organization to increase the number of children it serves to 11,000.

 

Design plans for the building include more than 50 classrooms with new teaching technology, a two-floor library, a gymnasium and auditorium and a large cafeteria and meeting room. Additionally, the school and center will include a fitness room, dance studio, music room, computer lab and three science labs. 

 

The school’s free "wrap-around services," which include access to medical, dental, and mental healthcare, a social-work team and after-school programs, will continue to be available.

 

The community center will offer a variety of free programs to neighborhood residents, such as exercise, nutrition and continuing education classes, along with access to building facility and meeting rooms for St. Nicholas Houses residents and community groups.

 

Part of the project also includes upgrading existing playgrounds in the housing development and planting new trees along 129th Street. 

 

The project was funded by a $60 million grant from the New York City Department of Education’s Charter Funding Matching Grant program, a $20 million gift from Goldman Sachs Gives and a $6 million gift from Google.

 

The building’s developer, Civic Builders, donated its $5 million development fee and law firm Shearman & Sterling LLP provided pro bono legal services.

 

Designed by John Ciardullo Associates, the building is in the process of LEED for Schools certification.

 

Once constructed, New York City will take ownership of the school building while Harlem Children’s Zone maintains and operates the school, according to the company.