CSArch engineers and district consultants provided the latest updates on the career and technical education (CTE) building for the Newburgh Board of Education on Wednesday, January 24. The CTE building has been planned for the hillside on West Street behind Newburgh Free Academy. Opening is anticipated by September 2026.

In October 2023, the CTE building was originally planned to house Newburgh students for a half-day period of instruction but now will provide students with a full-day of instruction. Students won’t have to travel back and forth between campuses. General education classrooms, dining options and additional staff offices were included in a revised design for the overall building.

The CTE campus features an entrance from West Street for a primary bus loop that will come back out onto West Street and another entrance on Gidney Avenue that appears to be two-way. Both entrances can be accessed with an additional connecting road at the rear of the building with additional parking. The existing ball fields along West Street are set to remain.

The ground floor of the building features a newly designed gymnasium, general education classes, a specialized health suite, administrative offices, a vet-tech/vet grooming program, the cosmetology and barbering program and security offices. Auto-tech, auto-body and welding labs along with construction trade shops are also available on the ground floor. A cafeteria and outdoor eating area also included in the ground floor design for students to use.

The second floor features science labs, general education classrooms, the nursing program, fashion labs, culinary labs and classrooms with additional storage. Student services, art rooms and labs and other technical spaces are also provided on the second floor. Teachers lounges are included on the second and third floors of the campus. The third floor features another teachers lounge, TV and production labs, computer rooms and a photo lab with a dark room.

The latest schedule for the project is that the proposal would be submitted to the New York State Education Department (SED) by January 31 followed by a revised estimate by Jacobs Solutions by March 1, 2024. A face-to-face review meeting with SED will take place by March 2024 with approval anticipated by April 2024. During April into May would be the anticipated time for a public bid for the project with contracts awarded by June.

Construction is anticipated to begin by June 17, 2024 and would be completed by July 1, 2026. From July 1 to August 30, the school district would be moving into the building and preparing for students and then in September, programs would be fully active.