Public School 217 is located in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. JLGA was selected to renovate and expand the Public School which was originally constructed in 1925. The landmarked status of the structure required coordination with the New York State Office of Historic Preservation. JLGA developed a phasing program for the modernization of the existing 77,000 sq. ft. building. The new and remodeled interiors of the older structure reflect the concerns of parents, teachers and administrators about overcrowded facilities, inadequate building systems, introduction of new educational philosophies and a multilingual population. A new 34,000 sq. ft. wing was added to allow students and teachers to exchange undersized classrooms for up-to-date, internet-ready facilities. By utilizing the addition as “swing space”, the renovation was completed on a floor-by-floor basis, allowing construction to occur concurrently with the school year.
