New Building Will Replace Astoria School's Classroom Trailers

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A new annex building will replace the classroom trailers at an Astoria public school, officials announced Thursday.

The crowded P.S. 85 - Charles Vallone School will get a new 476-seat building to replace a collection of trailers that were supposed to be short-term facilities but have been there for decades.

More than 100 pre-K and kindergarten students were using the trailers, which lacked proper heating and cooling.

"No longer will any child in this Council District have to shiver through a math lesson with his or her coat on, or suffer through hot temperatures in one of these trailers," City Council Member Costa Constantinides said.

The new building will also include a gymnasium-auditorium to replace the school's older existing facilities, officials said. Construction will start in 2020.

It is not yet clear what the project will cost because the building's design was just authorized, according to a spokesman for Constantinides.

"It is about time that students and teachers have the facilities they deserve," Assembly Member Aravella Simotas said. "Children between the ages of 2 and 6 have a unique aptitude for learning, and we have to foster that by ensuring that their kindergarten experience is not interrupted."

P.S. 85, like many in western Queens, suffers from overcrowding; the school operates at 140-percent capacity, according to Constantinides' office.

Finally, PS 85 is getting a new annex! Our children deserve a proper learning environment and I’m grateful we've secured this much-needed addition. I promise I’ll keep at it—because there’s more to be done pic.twitter.com/6TyhjOaNsC
— Sen. Mike Gianaris (@SenGianaris) April 25, 2019