ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Completion of Parkland School District’s new operations center took another step closer to becoming a reality on Tuesday.
Lehigh Valley Comprehensive Planning Committee unanimously approved an application from the school district for a 12,832-square-foot addition to the second floor of the new center currently under construction at 2619 Stadium Road, Orefield.
The new operations center will be a two-story, 39,295-square-foot facility that will house the district's food service, curriculum, facilities and operations, technology and teaching and learning departments.
Parkland School District plans
The new operations center will be a two-story, 39,295-square-foot facility that will house the district's food service, curriculum, facilities and operations, technology and teaching and learning departments.
The lower level will be for storage space, and the upper level for offices.
The addition would house the district’s alternative education programs, which include Alternative Education Disruptive Youth, Parkland Behavior Strategies Program and the Parkland Virtual Academy, as well as the district’s social workers.
Construction costs were estimated to be $19.9 million.
Some recommendations
The original operations center plan is expected to be completed in October.
The initial proposal to build the new operations center was originally reviewed by Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on December 16, 2022.
School district operations are now based mainly in the Troxell building at 1210 Springhouse Road, but other departments operate in other buildings.
Parkland School District
During its review of the proposal for the addition, the comprehensive planning committee recommended that because of the proximity of Interstate 476 to the east side of the tract, communication with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to ensure that impacts to the turnpike rights-of-way are addressed.
The LVPC also recommended that the school district verify there will be sufficient onsite parking to accommodate the expansion, compared with the previous review provided by LVPC in December 2022.
Signage and a pavement-marked crosswalk should be added on Stadium Drive to communicate to drivers that vulnerable road users cross the roadway to access the building and Orefield Middle School, the committee recommended.
School district operations are now based mainly in the Troxell building at 1210 Springhouse Road, but other departments operate in other buildings.