20A — September 17 - October 21, 2021 — Owners, Developers & Managers — M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal
www.marej.com
O wners , D evelopers & M anagers
Northeast Community Propel Academy opens its doors for 1,600 Philadelphia students Gilbane and Stantec deliver new school on budget and on time, despite COVID challenges good of the community."
HILADELPHIA, PA — After more than a year of remote learning, 1,600 students from the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) returned to school this week in the beautiful new Northeast Community Propel Academy, a 180,000 s/f K-8 facility re - sulting from a public-private partnership (P3) between the district and the experts at Gil- bane and Stantec . The build- ing is modern, vibrant, and student-centered, providing an engaging new learning environ- ment for the district, which has experienced extraordinary and sustained growth. P
"The Northeast Community Propel Academy will provide an engaging and dynamic 21st century learning environment for the students of Philadelphia for many years to come, and our team at Gilbane is proud to de - liver the school on budget and on time, despite the challenges that the pandemic brought our way," said Ed Broderick , president and CEO of Gilbane Development Company. "We stayed nimble, flexible, and determined, and the result is a beautiful new school that reminds us all what is possible when public and private sector leaders work together for the
“The Northeast Community Propel Academy is a successful model for turnkey project de- livery, harnessing the exciting educational opportunities that exist in having K-8 learning environments under one roof,” said Luis Vildostegui , senior principal and education leader in Stantec’s Philadelphia of- fice. “We value the incredible level of engagement from our project partners, stakeholders, and the community. Together, these voices created a special place that engages nature, both physically and as a metaphor, to reinforce the idea of school as a moment of relief, a place for exploration, imagination, and socialization.” Financing for the project was completed one week before COVID-19 shut down schools in March 2020, yet Gilbane and Stantec completed the $80 million social infrastructure project on time for the start of the 2021-2022 school year. "For more than 150 years, Gilbane has built a strong record of success, including a growing, impressive portfolio of social infrastructure projects like the Northeast Community Propel Academy," said Susan Tully , Senior project manager and K-12 Center of Excellence Leader. "In my role as the leader of Gilbane's K-12 Center of Excellence, I see every day the difference that a vibrant, state-of-the-art learning envi- ronment can make in the life of a student, and I'm proud and excited to see that come to life here in Philadelphia." Stantec provided architec- ture, interior design, and civil engineering services for the facility. The urban fabric of Philadelphia’s Pennypack Park offered unique opportunities for the new K-8 school as students from typically urban areas are able to connect with nature. Taking cues from the site, the design team fully embraced next-gen learning and created a unique, vibrant design that connects students as one com- munity. The Northeast Community Propel Academy consolidates clusters of classrooms and col- laborative zones around shared media and tech commons with- in each grade level house. With a total of nine clusters, grades can be organized vertically or horizontally with the number of classrooms adjustable as needed. MAREJ
Northeast Community Propel Academy
P o s k a n z e r S k o t t A r c h i t e c t s 550 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201.445.2322 www.poskanzerskott.com
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker