By Betsy Scheinbart
The New York City School Construction Authority and the Board of Education broke ground on a new 897-seat Law Enforcement High School in South Jamaica Tuesday.
The school on Guy Brewer Boulevard and 116th Street is scheduled to open in September 2003 and will also hold space for a Police Athletic League Community Center.
The groundbreaking attracted a variety of city officials, including Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Queens Borough President Claire Shulman, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, Manhattan District Attorney and Police Athletic League President Robert Morgenthau, City Council Speaker Peter Vallone (D-Astoria) and Deputy Majority Leader Archie Spigner (D-St. Albans).
“This is the first collaboration between the New York City School Construction Authority, the Board of Ed and PAL,” Giuliani said.
The six-story, fully air-conditioned building will cost $80,487,000 and cover 198,000 square feet. The school and PAL will share two gymnasiums, a cafeteria seating 330, an auditorium seating 300, rooftop athletic space, music, art, and orchestra rooms.
The school was put on a fast track after Giuliani accelerated funding for it and 11 other new schools as well as additions in the five-year capital plan in his State of the City Speech in January. As a result, it will accommodate students in 2003 instead of 2004.
“This will be a dual-use school, providing our students with a state-of-the-art high school, equipped with the first forensic science lab in a New York City School. And the people of South Jamaica will get a community center that will be open at night and on weekends,” Giuliani said.
The forensic science lab will have high-tech equipment almost identical to what the Federal Bureau of Investigation uses.
Students will use the fuming chamber to expose fingerprints on any object after air is extracted from the chamber. The prep station will reveal fingerprints on objects dusted with powder and the gas chromatography will analyze a substance, providing students with a breakdown of its chemical properties.
The school will also have an Emergency Medical Services training room and a mock courtroom.
Shulman allocated $5 million of the borough budget to the construction of the school, which is needed to help reduce the county’s extremely overcrowded school system.
“This is an exciting project, which we have supported for a long time,” Shulman said. “Hopefully, it will give youngsters the opportunity to explore various careers in law enforcement.”
The SCA is planning to build a Hospitality Careers High School, an intermediate school and five elementary schools in Queens. Additions are also planned for nine elementary schools and one intermediate school in the borough.
“There is a trend in the city to build high schools with a theme,” said Milo Riverso, the president and chief executive officer of the SCA. “The goal is to expose students to potential career options early.”
The Police Athletic League, a non-profit organization, will hold athletic, educational and performing arts programs for youth, adults, and seniors. Its portion of the building will include a library, kitchen, boxing room, game room, lounge and outdoor classroom.
“PAL believes that this combination of a high school and comprehensive PAL center will prove to be a tremendous asset to this community and to the positive development of its youth,” said Dr. John Ryan, the league’s executive director. “It could be a national model.”
Reach reporter Betsy Scheinbart by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300 Ext. 138.
