Bad Economy = Lower Costs?

From the NJ Star-Ledger.

So? Dust off the old K-12 school plans and let's see if it can be built for less money. Stop trying to cram kids into a school that was built for the 1950s and lets have a 21st century school that can accommodate everyone.

Taxpayers save on two school projects
Construction slump leads to cut-rate bids
Thursday, January 08, 2009
BY RUDY LARINI Star-Ledger Staff

The dismal economy does have its bright spots.

The New Jersey Schools Development Authority, the state agency responsible for school construction, is benefiting from a depressed construction market that will save taxpayers nearly $9 million to build two schools in South Jersey.

Eighteen bids were received for the two projects, including a dozen for one of the schools. James Poole, the authority's senior director for procurement and contract services, said the dozen bids was "unprecedented" for a project of that magnitude in his experience with the authority and its predecessor, the Schools Construction Corp.

Kris Kolluri, the authority's chief executive officer, attributed the high number of bidders to a "robust and competitive" construction industry in a depressed economy where residential and commercial development have slowed to a crawl.

"The market conditions have a lot to do with it," Kolluri said. "And the low cost is a benefit that the taxpayers will enjoy."

The project attracting 12 bidders was the Egg Harbor Middle and Elementary School in Atlantic County, whose cost had been estimated at $17.9 million. Yesterday, the authority's board accepted a low bid of $15.2 million by Tamburro Bros. Construction Co. of Millville.

The board also approved awarding the low bid of $21 million by Chanree Construction Co. of Ortley Beach for the Morgan Village Middle School in Camden, a project whose cost had been estimated at $27.2 million.

Both the Egg Harbor school for 364 students and the Morgan Village school for 520 students are scheduled to open in September 2010.

Kolluri also said plans are proceeding to preserve either the full facade or just the tower portion of the 92-year-old Camden High School while building a new $110 million school behind it.

Saving only the tower would cost about $4 million, while restoring the entire facade would cost about $6 million, he said.

The board had held off last month approving a $21 million exterior renovation as part of a $120 million project to modernize the school after questions arose over whether it would be more cost effective to build a new school.

The iconic high school, known as the "castle on the hill," is regarded as an inspirational landmark overlooking the Parkside neighborhood southeast of downtown Camden.