Construction has started on the John Bowne High School annex, a 630-seat, four-story facility at 146-50 Reeves Ave. in Flushing, just steps from the school’s central building at 63-25 Main St.
The high school’s enrollment of 2,782 students has the existing building’s capacity at 122 percent, according to the School Construction Authority. The new $48.4 million annex is meant to relieve overcrowding and expand educational opportunities for students.
It is expected to be ready for the 2027-28 school year.
The annex, the SCA said, will feature 20 standard education classrooms, two special education classrooms and specialized instructional spaces, including a state-of-the-art healthcare and nursing laboratory, and a culinary arts laboratory.
The building also will include administrative offices, student and staff restrooms, custodial and storage spaces and other essential student support areas, as well as a sustainable green roof to improve stormwater management and enhance energy efficiency.
Construction on the annex began in January, the SCA said, after six temporary classroom units were removed in 2025. The project team includes Plaza Construction LLC and PKSB Architects, which led design efforts. Adam de Boer was commissioned to create site-specific artwork for the annex lobby, “May on Main,” a series of four paintings that capture iconic views from Kew Gardens to Flushing, along Main Street.
Nina Kubota, the president and CEO of the SCA, in a statement said the start of the annex’s construction marks “an important investment in the future of Queens students and families.”
State Sen. John Liu (D-Bayside), the chair of the Committee on NYC Education, said, “This new annex will go a long way toward improving the quality of student learning and ensuring all students have access to a sound, basic education.”
The school’s principal, Laura Iannelli, said, “We are incredibly grateful for this investment, which does more than just add seats — it adds possibilities.”
The 2026-27 school year will mark the addition of another 2,600 new seats within Queens, with two new schools, three additions and four room conversion projects, the SCA said, but it did not elaborate on the locations.