Ground Zero Neighborhood Welcomes New York's First Green School

The environmentally sustainable school will be constructed in the Battery Park City area of Lower Manhattan on land donated by the state, officials said Tuesday.

The state is providing the last vacant building site in Battery Park City at no cost to the city to begin building the new school. The land will be made available through the Battery Park City Authority, which owns the site.

Announcing the new green school, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and Mayor Michael Bloomberg said a booming residential population in Lower Manhattan has created a high need for additional school space in the area.

"Lower Manhattan has become a premier residential destination, and that trend has also placed a toll on its public schools," said Governor Spitzer. "The donation of this land for a new elementary-middle school will ease overcrowding in Lower Manhattan classrooms and improve overall education conditions by providing students with a healthy sustainable environment where they learn and thrive."

The new 950 seat school will serve pre-kindergarten through the eighth grades, and will include 100 seats for special education students.

Mayor Bloomberg said, "This new facility, part of our $13.1 billion capital plan to reduce classroom overcrowding and to modernize our schools, will also be the first green school building in keeping with our commitment to incorporate energy saving measures such as increased insulation and the use of natural light.

"Not only will the students have a state-of-the-art learning facility, but they will also be learning in environmentally friendly surroundings," the mayor said.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said, "It is inspiring that so many parents are choosing to raise their kids in a neighborhood many thought might be abandoned after the 2001 terrorist attacks. I'm thrilled that we are building a new school to meet the needs of the many families who want to make this part of Manhattan their home."

Construction of the school will adhere to environmental guidelines that will make it the first entirely green public school in New York City. The Battery Park City Authority is contributing $3 million to the School Construction Authority for additional green features.

The school will reduce energy costs by at least 25 percent through the use of day lighting in all instructional rooms, energy-efficient lighting controlled by occupancy sensors, increased insulation in the exterior walls, high efficiency condensing boilers, Energy Star-equivalent equipment, carbon-dioxide sensors in large common spaces, and solar panels that convert sun light directly into electricity.

High efficiency plumbing fixtures will conserve water by using 40 percent less drinkable water.

Indoor air quality will be enhanced with construction materials that are mold-resistant and emit low levels of toxics. Construction materials will be at least 12 percent recycled content, and 80 percent of construction waste will be recycled.

The school, which will be located at 55 Battery Place, will be fully air-conditioned and have 30 classrooms; a kitchen and cafeteria; medical suite; auditorium; library; wireless Internet access; art, science, and music rooms; a 5,400-square-foot gymnasium, and a 1,500-square-foot exercise room with rooftop educational and recreational spaces.

The new school is being designed by Dattner Architects. Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2008 and to be completed in time for classes in September 2010.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2007. All rights reserved.