Joseph J. Bingham Elementary School is currently undergoing a $12 million expansion and renovation project. The IPS School 84 is located at 440 East 57th Street, south of the Broad Ripple area.

The project began on July 27, 2007. The new addition will include administrative offices, art and music rooms, a cafeteria, a gymnasium and science labs in a 25,436 square foot area on three (lower, main and upper) levels. J. Beard Management, a construction management and general contracting firm based in Indianapolis, is overseeing the project.

"School 84's expansion and renovation will be implemented in three phases. Phase one includes the addition and renovation of the eastern most portion of the building.

"Phase two is the renovation of the middle (central) portions of the existing building," Project Superintendent Paul Martin explained. Phase three will be the renovation of the western portions of the existing building. The project is scheduled for completion in August of 2009, prior to the 2009-2010 school year," explained Martin.

Martin has more than 30 years of experience in leadership roles in the construction industry. He has worked for 15 years with J. Beard Management. Other notable construction projects that Martin has worked on are Arlington High School, Circle Center Mall, Maple Ridge Elementary in Pendleton and the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility. An Indianapolis native, Martin's career began in the residential construction of single-family homes.

Martin described his job as an "orchestra conductor, coordinating efforts on the project with several specialty contractors and vendors. There is a workforce ranging from five to 25 individuals on the project that varies depending on the workload. There are eight prime contractors responsible for the School 84 construction, primarily located in the Indianapolis area," he mentioned.

"The old gym will become a new media center and part of the new addition will have a new gym. The school will have full air conditioning and a sprinkler system when completed, two of the more important features, along with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliancy," he explained.

J. Beard Management, Inc. provides professional construction management services on a fee basis. Beard was born in Jackson, Tenn., but moved to Indianapolis in 1956. He was educated in the IPS system where his vocational training later became his professional career.

Starting his construction career as a roofer, Beard later founded the firm bearing his name in 1977. He has personally performed project management tasks in leading a select team of project professionals.

The firm experienced growth in acquiring several construction management projects for the Indianapolis Public School System occurring from 1994 through 1996. They also complement their construction management work with occasional assignments as a general contractor and design/builder. Their projects include renovation of the Madame Walker Theatre (Phases I & 11), Marion County Health Department, Forest Manor Multi-Service Center, new IPS construction, the City of Indianapolis, several area churches and Owner's Representative for Indy Parks and Recreation.

They were also the co-lead minority subcontractors on the newly completed Conseco Fieldhouse. With his successes, Beard has never lost sight of the minority business community. He has created double-digit participation for minority businesses on multi-million dollar projects, delivering projects on time and under budget.

Approximately 234 students currently attend School 84 in kindergarten through seventh grade, but the school will add an eighth grade for the 2008-2009 school year as they grow with their school and J. Beard Management.

Their website, www.jbeardmanagement.com is currently under construction, but will be up and running in the near future.