Partial demolition begins at Toa Baja school under Innova Project

The significant risk of liquefaction involves projected settling of between 5.3 and 18.12 inches, making the repair of the existing structures unfeasible.

By THE STAR STAFF

Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés announced Tuesday that partial demolition work has begun at Dr. Pedro Albizu School in Toa Baja to provide students, staff and the school community with safe, accessible and modern spaces.

The school is part of the Innova Project led by the Office of Infrastructure and Reconstruction (OIR), an initiative to modernize schools in critical condition.

“This school presented significant needs that required additional geotechnical studies, ultimately concluding that the soil in several areas exhibits liquefaction, meaning it is loose and sandy,” Ramos Parés said. “Therefore, the architects determined that demolishing five buildings, preparing the soil, and then rebuilding the structures is the best course of action. This school is over 50 years old and presents severe structural issues.”

The significant risk of liquefaction to which the Education secretary referred involves projected settling of between 5.3 and 18.12 inches, making the repair of the existing structures unfeasible. According to the timeline, the demolition should be completed by the middle of next year, and the bidding process for the new construction will begin simultaneously.

The school’s design, currently 30% complete, includes the creation of spaces for vocational courses, the renovation of the existing theater, and the construction of a new gymnasium that will serve as a shelter if needed. It also includes an updated space plan to accommodate a revised enrollment of 600 students, according to the Bayamón Regional Education Office. To date, 26 projects are underway as part of the Innova Project initiative.

“These processes take time, but we are working diligently to optimize them and meet our commitments. We are talking about a total investment of $60,131,560.52,” said OIR Director Christian Betancourt Cruz, an architect. “The Pedro Albizu School joins other projects such as the Agripina Seda and Aurea Quiles schools in Guánica, which we announced at the beginning of July and which suffered severe damage from the 2019 earthquakes, and Central High School in Santurce, where we are working on the construction proposal.”