New Vocational Tech School Breaks Ground In Newark: Essex County's Donald Payne Honored

Newark, NJ – Essex County officials announced last week that construction is underway on the Essex County Congressman Donald M. Payne Sr. Vocational Technical School in Newark.

On March 14, officials gathered on the site of the former United Hospital to celebrate the groundbreaking of the 310,000 square foot facility.

The school is scheduled to be opened by September of 2018.

According to an Essex County news release, the new school campus will be located at the intersection of West Market Street and Ninth Avenue in the West Ward of Newark. The three-story building will have traditional classrooms for core curriculum subjects such as history, English, mathematics and science as well as specially designed spaces for career training classes including culinary arts, carpentry, plumbing and electrical systems as well as emerging professions such as green energy, information technology, television and radio, cyber security and public safety.

In addition, the building features a two-story, common learning area and a culinary arts area that will include traditional kitchen space and a restaurant area/storefront where the public can sample students’ creations.

Students studying green energy will have access to a “green” roof, solar panels and greenhouse, county officials stated.

The school will also have an auditorium to seat upwards of 800 students and two gymnasiums, in addition to an outdoor amphitheater and passive park area. An underground parking garage will be built beneath the amphitheater for faculty and staff parking, county officials stated.

The “Payne School” will have a student body of about 1,100 students, county officials stated.

These students will come from the Essex County Bloomfield Tech Campus in Bloomfield and the Essex County North 13th Street Campus in Newark, officials said.

According to county officials, DiCara, Rubino Architects from Wayne received a $4,239,995 contract to design the Payne School. Dobco, Inc. from Wayne was awarded a publicly bid contract for $96,159,000 to construct the school. Joseph Jingoli & Son, Inc. from Lawrenceville was awarded a $1,640,644 contract to provide construction management services to answer questions and ensure delays are avoided.

County officials stated that the construction is being funded through the Essex County Vocational Technical Schools’ Capital Budget with 90 percent of the costs being reimbursed by the State of New Jersey. The other 10 percent is anticipated to be funded with the proceeds from the sale of Bloomfield Tech and North 13th Street School.

Congressman Donald Payne, Jr., who as accompanied to the groundbreaking ceremony by his sisters Wanda and Nicole, was emotional as he spoke about the building being named for his father, the late Donald Payne.

“To have this school named in his honor, he would have been overwhelmed with joy,” Payne Jr. said. “Nothing meant more to him than the education of young people and preparing them for their future.”

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Photos courtesy of Essex County