![]() |
Pre-K room at Gloria Sabater Elementary School, part of a public-private effort in community development in Vineland, N.J. |
At 69 square miles, Vineland is New Jersey's largest city, at least in geographic area, and it has a rich history. It was established in 1861 as a planned community (well before there were such things) by the utopian Charles Landis. It was in Vineland that Dr. Thomas Welch found a way to preserve grape juice without fermenting it, creating a wine substitute for church use (the town was dry). In the 1940s, Vineland was known as “The Egg Basket of America,” and in the 1960s, its downtown was bustling.
But, like Atlantic City, its neighbor 40 miles to the east, Vineland started falling on hard times. In 2003, the city approved a redevelopment plan that envisioned a special demonstration school and community services center as a potential catalyst to encourage private investment in the downtown redevelopment zone. Ultimately, an extensive network of civic agencies—the city of Vineland, the public school district, the state Schools Development Authority, the Cumberland County Empowerment Zone, and the Tri-County Community Action Partnership—allied with local citizens and the project's Building Team to design, build, and finance the school/community center.
The Building Team, led by construction manager Joseph Jingoli & Son, Inc., Lawrenceville, N.J., with design firm USA Architects, Somerville, N.J., held more than 40 stakeholder charrettes over a three-year period. Results of all meetings were made public via the public and private partners' websites.
This level of community involvement resulted in not a single property of the 68 acquired having to be taken through condemnation; all were negotiated sales. More than 70% of those whose properties were acquired found housing elsewhere in the community, and 15% of those who had been renters were converted to property owners. Thirty-six percent of eligible dollars for the project were earned by local companies, and 116 local residents—78 of them from Vineland itself—worked on the job.
The 181,000-sf facility, completed in early 2008, combines a pre-K-to-grade-5 school for 830 students, a pool and recreation facility, and a community health and wellness center that provides health and dental care through a local nonprofit organization. There's an onsite childcare center for infants to two-year-olds, a therapeutic “zero-entry” pool for disabled students, a library/media center, a computer lab, an arts and crafts area that community groups can rent on a sliding-scale basis, and a cafeteria/auditorium with elevated stage and proscenium. All school-based facilities are open to the public after school hours.
The real genius of this project was how the partners pulled out all the stops to find the $62,259,000 needed to acquire the land and build the facilities. Funding for the school came from a special demonstration project sponsored by the N.J. Department of Education and the N.J. Schools Development Authority. The city financed the pool and community facilities through grants, donations, and HUD funds allocated to Vineland and the Cumberland Empowerment Zone. A $2.5 million Urban Enterprise Zone loan was leveraged into $3.5 million through a $1 million contribution from Albert Boscov, the founder of a local department store chain, who received federal New Market Tax Credits for the full $3.5 million.
“They used New Market Tax Credits to develop the community—a great solution for everyone,” noted jury member Tracy Nicholas. “It complicated the job to have so many community requirements, but it shows that this is a team that pulled together and got the job done.” —Robert Cassidy, Editor-in-Chief
Related Stories
Museums | Oct 3, 2017
Denmark’s new LEGO experience hub looks like it’s made out of giant LEGO blocks
The 12,000-sm building is part of Billund, Denmark’s goal to become the ‘Capital for Children.’
Museums | Aug 15, 2017
Underground Railroad Visitor Center tells story of oppression, then freedom
The museum is conceived as a series of abstracted forms made up of two main structures, one administrative and one exhibit.
Cultural Facilities | Jul 13, 2017
A WWII bunker becomes a museum along Denmark’s coast
BIG’s design of this cultural center is the “antithesis” of the fortress.
Museums | Jul 5, 2017
Addition by subtraction: Art Share L.A. renovation strips away its acquired superfluity
The redesign of the 28,000-sf building is prioritizing flexibility, openness, and connectivity.
Performing Arts Centers | Jun 30, 2017
L.A.’s John Anson Ford Amphitheater might finally be ready for its close-up
The performing arts venue, nearly a century old, has undergone an extensive refurbishing.
Building Team | Jun 27, 2017
Bruner Foundation announces 2017 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence gold and silver medalists
The SteelStacks Arts and Cultural Campus in Bethlehem, Pa., receives the gold medal and $50,000.
Libraries | May 31, 2017
A year after its facelift, Boston’s Public Library is relevant again
Visitors are flocking to its brighter, connected halls, which now include retail and digital components.
Cultural Facilities | May 25, 2017
The Shed, a multi-arts center on New York’s west side, moves forward in construction and funding
The facility, designed for maximum programming flexibility, includes a massive movable shell.
Cultural Facilities | May 4, 2017
Obama Foundation reveals first look at the Obama Presidential Center
The design comprises three buildings set in the public space of Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side.
Performing Arts Centers | Mar 6, 2017
An oval defines the Frank Gehry-designed Pierre Boulez Saal concert hall
The hall hosted its debut concert on Saturday, March 4 with a performance by the Boulez Ensemble.