East Side Middle School

East Side Middle School (abbreviated ESMS) is a public school located on York Avenue between 77^th and 78^th street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. ESMS shares a building with an elementary school, PS 158. ESMS uses the entire 5^th floor and part of the 4^th floor, and shares access of the auditorium, cafeteria, and gyms with PS 158.

Relocation

The school is set to relocate to 91^st Street and 1^st Avenue. The building currently occupied by the school is over a century old and was deemed too old to renovate.

The New York City Department of Education negotiated with a property developer to build both a new school to house East Side Middle School as well as a residential tower on the site of the old school building, and costs of the entire $45 million project are being borne by the developer, in return for leasing of the building. As of April 2007 the old school building was razed to make way for the new construction. [cite news |title=NY1 Education|url=http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?&aid=73460&search_result=1&stid=4|date=2007-09-10|accessdate=2008-01-14|quote=Ground was broken Monday on a new Manhattan public school that won't cost the city a dime.] Construction should be completed by December 2008 and East Side Middle School will likely occupy the new facility by September 2009 for their new school year.

On May 30th, 2008, during construction of the residential portion of the building, a crane collapsed, killing two construction workers and damaging a nearby apartment building. It is unknown how this will impact the schedule of construction.

References