Jun. 13, 2023 By Ethan Marshall
The New York City School Construction Authority on June 9 announced that work will be starting on a construction project at P.S. 213Q in Bayside. The completion of the project is meant to better enhance the educational experience for both the students and staff members.
The project includes boiler conversion, climate control, water penetration, a low-voltage electrical system upgrade, electrification and an upgrade to the heating plant. In order to ensure the safety for students, all the work will take place after normal school hours. The entire project is expected to be completed by December of 2025.
According to School Construction Authority External Affairs Manager Benjamin Goodman, before the project began, a comprehensive asbestos investigation was conducted. This was meant to determine if any asbestos-containing material would be impacted by the work. An additional safety measure for the workers who will be in contact with asbestos-containing materials is that they will be wearing protective suits and respirators.
Asbestos removal work will be conducted by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor while the school is not occupied. Additionally, the abatement work will be managed by an environmental consulting firm. Representatives from this firm will be on-site throughout the project’s duration in order to ensure that all proper regulations are adhered to by the contractor. This consultant will also monitor the air in the immediate area to insure the proper removal is being conducted.
Much of the construction work will take place between 4 p.m. and midnight on weekdays and between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekends and school holidays. Daytime work may also be conducted during the summer when school is out of session.
The School Construction Authority said that the renovation work will end up being noisy. However, they will try to minimize disruptions to those in the neighborhood.
“We regret this disturbance to the community,” Goodman said. “But, with your cooperation, we hope to finish this project earlier than anticipated.”
Goodman also advised those who may have additional questions or be in seek of more information on the matter to reach out to him by phone at 718-472-8026.
In addition to P.S. 213Q, this same project will also be done at P.S. Q004 in Fresh Meadows. The work at the two schools will be done simultaneously.