Paterson’s new STEAM and STARS high school advances through design and early site work
The New Jersey Schools Development Authority’s July 1, 2026 update shows Paterson’s planned STEAM and STARS High School advancing through design, construction-management oversight and early site preparation.
Accenture Infrastructure and Capital Projects, LLC received a $3,298,400 construction-management contract for the project. NJSDA says the design phase remains ongoing, while site clearing and preparation for a retaining wall are moving forward.
The update does not mean the school building is fully under construction. The project remains listed in the design phase, with permits and early site work preceding broader building construction.
A new high school at 764 11th Avenue
The project is planned for the former Paterson Catholic School site at 764 11th Avenue. It is a new STEAM and STARS High School for students in grades 9 through 12.
NJSDA records describe an approximately 266,000-square-foot, five-story facility designed to accommodate up to 1,564 students.
The project is intended to replace the existing school facility, with demolition of the current building planned after construction of the new facility is complete, according to the NJSDA project record.
Separate construction-management and design-build roles
Accenture’s award is for construction-management services. It is separate from the design-build contract held by Dobco Inc., which NJSDA identifies as the design-build contractor for the new school.
NJSDA’s April 1 board materials approved the construction-management award at $3,298,400, including $630,000 in NJSDA-established allowances. The agency’s contract-award record lists May 7, 2026, as the award date for Accenture Infrastructure and Capital Projects, LLC, and the July board materials identify that date as the contract-execution date.
The April board resolution also says Dobco received the notice to proceed for the project’s design phase on February 13, 2026. In practical terms, Dobco is responsible for the separate design-build agreement, while Accenture’s contract covers construction-management services for the project.
Latest work is focused on design and the retaining wall
As of July 1, NJSDA reported that the design phase was continuing. The agency said the retaining-wall work had received a Department of Community Affairs release, the design-builder was pulling permits and site mobilization was expected during July.
The project page also reports that the design-builder had commenced site clearing in preparation for construction of the retaining wall. Those activities are early project steps, not confirmation that full building construction has begun.
Estimated cost and projected schedule
NJSDA lists the total estimated project cost at $200.8 million. The figure is an estimate and may change as design, permitting and construction proceed.
The July 1 NJSDA project-status report lists substantial completion in the second quarter of 2029 and a September 2029 school opening as on-target milestones. Those dates are planning projections, not a guaranteed completion or opening schedule; the agency notes that project milestones depend on multiple factors and are subject to change.
For Paterson residents and families, the next milestones to watch are continued design work, permit activity, retaining-wall construction and future updates showing when the project moves from early site preparation into broader building construction.
Sources
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