The oft-delayed Washington Street school construction project that some skeptics said would never get built is on the verge of becoming a reality.
The Board of Education has approved five bids for the major portions of the $35 million project which, when completed in 2010, will provide Montclair with its first new public school in more than 80 years.
Board President John Carlton and other members described the move as historic and welcomed the opportunity to finally vote on resolutions that will put the construction in motion.
Montclair School District Business Administrator Dana Sullivan announced that the $12.9 million bid for the general construction portion of the project went to Niram Inc. of Boonton. Niram was one of 16 companies that submitted sealed bids that ranged from $12.9 million to $15.9 million.
Sullivan announced the other winning bids that included a $4.1 million contract for electrical work to Sal Electric Company of Jersey City, $3.2 million for heating and ventilating systems to Centralpack Engineering Corp. of Hibernia, $1.3 million for plumbing and gas fitting to Annese Merchanical of Lakewood, and $1.6 million for structural steel and ornamental ironwork to J.G. Schmidt Steel of Passaic.
Carlton and his fellow board members also took time to acknowledge and thank the members of a task force that recommended the new school back in 2000, as well as former Board of Education and Township Council members who supported the project over the ensuing years. Several, including Mayor Ed Remsen, Deputy Mayor Joyce Michaelson and former board member Renee Baskerville were present at the Board of Education meeting Monday evening during which the winning bids were announced.
Work on the new school could begin by the start of summer, and officials expressed optimism that the construction will be completed by 2010.
"We’re moving forward," said Schools Superintendent Frank Alvarez.
Board members said they were "excited" to finally get to the construction phase. They noted the project will provide state-of-the-art classroom space and instructional facilities for up to 550 students. But just as important, they said the development of the 4.5-acre site just off Bloomfield Avenue could help revitalize the surrounding neighborhood.
The new school will reflect a less dense land-use plan than had been envisioned by some people for the area. It will provide new off-street parking and it will head off the gentrification that many residents feared would result if the land had been taken over by developers for new upscale housing.
The new school project has been plagued by a series of delays that began soon after the board moved to demolish the Washington Street Y that had stood on the property. Overly ambitious plans drove up project’s costs and officials had to scale back the design.
Then opponents of the demolition said the Y had historical significance to Montclair’s African-American community and unsuccessfully sought historic designation for the building. Once demolition began, human remains were discovered on the site, which had been used as a cemetery before the Y was built in 1926.
An archeological dig ordered by the state Department of Environmental Protection was conducted and the remains were eventually reburied.
When demolition resumed, crews found asbestos-tainted materials amid the demolition debris, forcing special handling and disposal. The site was completely cleared in February.
