Velocity collaborated with the NYCSCA in-house team to convert Our Lady of Lourdes, a 3-story, 76,000 SF parochial school in Queens, into a dedicated Pre-K facility. The project required careful planning to accommodate the school’s dual role: ten third-floor classrooms and the gymnasium/auditorium continue to serve the Queens Diocese for Sunday school activities. To support the Pre-K program, the school’s main entrance was relocated to the gymnasium/auditorium, where a new lobby and security desk were created. This flexible space now provides indoor recess and a morning play area during inclement weather, and a new address was established for DOB filing using the auditorium’s Springfield Avenue entrance.
Site improvements included resurfacing the existing playground and adding a dedicated early childhood playground. The gymnasium / auditorium was refurbished and upgraded with new air-conditioning, and three full cooking pantries, one per floor, were installed to streamline food distribution to classrooms.
The project also addressed complex challenges in building systems. The adjacent three-story Church Convent building shares a heating and fire alarm system with the school, but required a fully independent egress for the Pre-K program. Velocity designed a new fire alarm system for the Pre-K school, interconnected with the Convent building where necessary, while ensuring complete separation for safety compliance. Our architectural, engineering, and construction administration team coordinated closely with representatives of the Queens Archdiocese and their architect to restore and replace exterior masonry, the roof, and the building boiler system.
