New York Voters Approve Construction Bond Issue

PLAINVIEW, N.Y. — Voters recently approved the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District’s (POB CSD) $49.8 million construction bond issue for infrastructure improvements and renovations. The construction program will encompass seven schools and two additional buildings owned by the district, and will be performed in four phases to prevent interruptions to educational activities. The district serves grades K-12 with a current enrollment of 5,200 students.

BBS Architects, Landscape Architects and Engineers of Patchogue, N.Y. has been selected as the project architect; interior designer; mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineer; civil engineer; and site and athletic field designer for the construction program. The firm boasts an already strong foothold in the area, having been awarded $275 million in voter-approved school construction bonds in the last two years. The firm also designed the state’s first LEED certified public school, Hampton Bays Middle School in Hampton Bays, N.Y., which received both LEED Silver and Green Ribbon School designation in 2012.

"The upcoming renovations will result in increased energy efficiency and significant savings for our district," said Dr. Lorna R. Lewis, Plainview-Old Bethpage CSD superintendent of schools, in a statement. "The construction work will bring our schools, the majority of which were built in the 1950s and 1960s, to modern standards that will accommodate current educational programs and provide healthy and attractive learning environments for our students."

“The construction program will include building envelope renovations that aim at improving energy efficiency, classroom and other interior renovations, safety and security upgrades, new technology systems, renovations of outdoor sports facilities, and infrastructure and building systems upgrades,” added BBS Principal Architect Roger Smith, AIA, LEED AP, in a statement. “Energy efficiency improvements will result in annual savings of approximately $239,000 for the school district.”

The need to reduce the district’s energy costs, and desire to upgrade safety and security were the primary factors that led to the development of the improvement program. The district’s buildings currently feature original, outdated single-pane windows, which are highly energy inefficient. Annual savings obtained through specific energy use-related upgrades will include approximately $110,000 from new LED lighting fixtures, $60,000 from new temperature control systems, $59,000 from new double pane, insulated glazing windows and $9,600 from a 50-kW rooftop solar array.

Additionally, all educational buildings will receive comprehensive security upgrades, including interior and exterior cameras, expanded interior and exterior lighting, motion detectors and a variety of lock-down related technology. Safety improvements will also include fire alarm upgrades.

“Work will begin in the summer of 2015, once the school year is over, and is expected to be completed in 2018,” said BBS Senior Associate and Director of Engineering & Technology Frederick Seeba, P.E., LEED AP, in a statement. “The majority of work, such as the replacement of all windows, masonry repairs, and other building envelope improvements, must be completed during warm weather. There will be no interruptions to educational activities as each phase of the construction program will be completed during a summer break.”

Construction will take place at the district’s seven schools located in Long Island communities of Plainview and Old Bethpage. These include John F. Kennedy High School, Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School, Howard B. Mattlin Middle School, K-Center/Stratford Road Elementary School, Parkway Elementary School, Pasadena Elementary School, and Old Bethpage Elementary School. Two other buildings owned by the district, Jamaica Avenue and Fern Place, will also receive some renovations.