JMT Celebrates Completion of Two New Schools for the School District of Philadelphia
The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) held two ribbon cuttings in December to celebrate the completion of the construction of two new schools, The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin and Thomas Holme Elementary School. JMT has held the program management contract with SDP since 2020 and oversees the design and construction of school projects as an integral part of the agency’s Office of Capital Programs.
AMY at James Martin
The 88,216 SF, four-story building was completed on a design-build basis at a project cost of $62 million. Located in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia, the new middle school has a capacity of 500 students, is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, and incorporates 21st-century learning environments. The new building replaces the original building built on the same site in 1892.
Some of the design features include an Interactive Media Commons, Science, Music, and Arts classrooms, a Green Roof with an outdoor classroom, Digital Media Lab, a Full-Service Kitchen and Dining Commons, and a Gymnatorium (incorporating a gym and auditorium).
The project had a challenging schedule and was completed in 24 months, including full design, permitting, demolition of the existing building, and construction of the new building.
Thomas Holme Elementary School
This project was also completed utilizing a design-build contract within a 24-month period, including full design, permitting, demolition, and construction. This project, located in northeast Philadelphia, was needed to accommodate overcrowding of the existing school. It is 141,000 SF over three stories, with a project cost of $89 million and replaces the existing school built on the same site in 1950.
The project is designed to accommodate 1,300 students from Pre-K through 8th grades, incorporates 21st-century learning environments, and is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification. Some highlights include the creation of learning neighborhoods and Discovery Commons, Music and Arts classrooms, Interactive Media Commons, a Digital Flex Lab, Makers Space, a Dance Studio, Science Classrooms, a Gymnatorium, Full Service Kitchen and Dining Commons, as well as exterior playgrounds and basketball courts.
The JMT team, led by Steve Talbott, is proud to be an integral part of the SDP Capital Programs team, delivering impressive projects for the School District of Philadelphia.
We look forward to welcoming the students into their new schools on January 5th!