Front photo, Beatrice Payne, president, county Technical School District Board of Education, addresses gathering at opening of building addition. Left, freeholders and district officials cut ribbon to officially open the $14.7-million addition. Photos by Al Campbell

CREST HAVEN — The Cape May County Technical School District officially opened its addition Oct. 23 with a 3 p.m. ribbon cutting attended by district officials and freeholders.

The addition will create more classrooms as well as new lab facilities.

A first for the school is the inclusion of a masonry classroom that will teach that trade to budding masons.

The project added 46,317 square feet of new space to the school, renovated 7,425 square feet of existing space, replaced hundreds of doors and windows and added mechanical and electrical infrastructure improvements has been completed.

The $14,769,143.00 project was funded by Freeholders with 43 percent of the project cost to be reimbursed from Debt Service Aid from the State of New Jersey.

Construction included:

Six classrooms

Six science labs

Three science prep rooms & three science storage rooms

Two small group instruction rooms

Three offices

One diesel engines classroom

One small engine marine mechanics room with storage

One Exploratory occupations classroom with storage

Male/female restroom facilities

Auxiliary gymnasium with storage

Weight room with storage

Male/female locker rooms

Masonry classroom with storage and corridor

Addition to an existing classroom to create Early Childhood Education classroom

The project also included rehabilitation of existing facilities including:

Replaced windows/doors/HVAC/boiler in the 100 wing (Tozour Building).

Replaced door hardware in 300 wing (Toft Building) for ADA compliance.

Replaced masonry in the original front entrance of the 1969 (Tozour) building.

New sprinklers in the cafeteria for compliance with new IBC code.

Upgraded electrical service in 100, 200 and 300 wings to accommodate technology.

Extension of telephone system/security system/fire alarm system for the renovations and additions in the 100, 200 and 300 wings.

New HVAC for the rehabilitated technology room.