Fort Lee Student-Designed Benches To Be Dedicated Thursday

FORT LEE, NJ — Two benches designed by borough students will be dedicated at the Hudson Lights development Thursday.

The ceremony is the culmination of four years of work by borough students and local school and municipal leaders.

Fort Lee elementary students submitted entries for a bench design project in June 2014 as part of a school lesson. Students had to design innovative, aesthetic, and functional benches for Hudson Lights, which was newly developed at the time.

A panel of local leaders selected three designs by two teams of students, who are now in high school. The benches were created with donations from SJP Properties, former Councilman Armand Pohan, the Fort Lee Education Foundation, and JDAV Designs.

The first bench resembles a film reel and recognizes the borough as the birthplace of the American film industry. The other bench was inspired by the George Washington Bridge. They will be located in the park area on the corner of Lemoine Avenue and Main Street.

An additional $11,000 is needed to create the third bench, which is inspired by the the Jeffrey's Hook Lighthouse, also known as the Little Red Lighthouse, near the George Washington Bridge.

The students who designed the benches are: Alex Ha, Daniel Kim, Justin Lee, Yasmine Kahtane, and Sayaka Susuki, Gemma Hong, Nicole Huh, Mariana Meriles, Russell Yum, and Jennifer Zhao.

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Photos: The two benches that will be dedicated Thursday at Hudson Lights. (Courtesy of Elsa Osso)