Governor Christie On Hand For Groundbreaking of Catrambone School in Long Branch

Governor Chris Christie was on hand to commend the Long Branch School District and the city for groundbreaking of the George L. Catrambone School on Monday morning.

The school is the first of the School Development Authority's (SDA) 2011 Capital Portfolio to enter the construction phase, with site work already completed.

"With today's groundbreaking, this Administration is demonstrating its firm commitment to move forward with the construction of efficient and cost-effective school facilities that provide our students with modern and efficient learning environments," Christie said today.

The school will be a 109,000 square-foot, two-story facility designed to educate approximately 800 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grades. The building will be constructed on the site of the former Elberon Elementary School which was demolished in 2009. 

The facility will include 41 classrooms, four special education classrooms, a cafetorium, stage, computer room, gymnasium, media center/library, art room and a music room. Construction is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2014-15 school year.

Terminal Construction Corp. of Wood Ridge, New Jersey was awarded a $27.5 million contract for the construction of the new school. The architect is Becica Associates, LLC of Cherry Hill and Greyhawk North America LLC of Moorestown is the construction manager, and the total estimated cost of the project is $40.1 million.

"I will be grateful for the day when the doors of this school open to the children of Long Branch," Long Branch School District Superintendent Michael Salvatore said.

Catrambone, a former Long Branch assistant superintendent, was also on hand and thanked the SDA and Christie for advancing the project that will bear his name.

"I also want to say thank you to all the students I've had over the years," Catrambone said. "Little do they know that they have been the greatest teachers and inspirations to me throughout my life."