Volume 78 - Number 46 / April 22 -28, 2009
West and East Village, Chelsea, Soho, Noho, Little Italy, Chinatown and Lower East Side, Since 1933

Funding growing for P.S. 41 roof

By Jill Stern

Major news about additional funding support for P.S. 41’s green roof project is expected any day now. However, the school isn’t saying anything until it’s official and is made public.

The project just received approval on its scope and budget from the School Construction Authority. Based on the “Approved S.C.A. Scope Estimate,” the total cost is just under $1.5 million.

P.S. 41 — located on W. 11th St. near Sixth Ave. — will still need to raise $175,000 privately for the green components of the project, which is known as GELL. The school has gotten tremendous support from the community, including from Futurehood, which is a consortium of Greenwich Village businesses committed to environmental causes and which was spearheaded by Carlos Suarez, owner of Bobo restaurant.

The school also recently received grants from the ERM Foundation and Interface Foundation for this project. Groundbreaking for phase one — the top roof — is still scheduled for spring 2010.