Ground-Breaking Slated for Phillips Avenue Elementary School

The first phase of construction in the Riverhead Central School District's is coming soon.

Phillips Avenue Elementary School, built in the late 1950s, is slated to receive a new library, new roof, new parking lots, new student drop-off loops, and other improvements.

On August 16 at 10 a.m., the Riverhead Board of Education will take part in a ground-breaking ceremony at the Phillips Avenue Elementary school. Also present will be Superintendent Nancy Carney and representatives from BBS Architects, Landscape Architects and Engineers, the firm that designed the plans. 

“When the community gave in October 2011, I began anticipating this day,” Carney said.  “We have been working diligently on all of the pre-construction work these past 10 months, and now that we have received building permits and conducted all of our bidding, we are excited to begin the physical construction.”

The Phillips Avenue phase of the project, which will cost about $3.4 million in construction costs, will begin immediately and continue during the school year and into next summer.   

One highlight of the construction will be a new library, Carney said. “I am very proud of the library that will be built in this school. It takes the existing library and moves it into the 21st century, with additional computing power and modern arrangements to teach reading and a lifelong love of books to our students.”

Other work includes replacement of sidewalks, renovations to bathrooms, and reconfiguration of some classrooms; the facility will also be made ADA compliant.

Safety will be key, said principal Debra Rodgers. Since the bid process came in under budget, the district was able to fund extra work on playgrounds. “We will be renovating the playgrounds here to include a rubber safety surface under the play structures,” she said.  “This will improve the experiences the students have during recess, allow them to safely exercise and increase physical fitness, and make the play area accessible to all students.”

Carney said she is also excited for work to progress on other buildings in the near future. “This is a wonderful day for Riverhead," she said.