Phelps Construction Group Completes New Ellis Island Museum Expansion

BOONTON, N.J., Phelps Construction Group has completed a project for the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. to build expanded galleries for the newly renamed Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration on Ellis Island in New York harbor.

The Peopling of America Center, opening to the public Wednesday, May 20, is a major expansion of the previously existing exhibit area that focuses on the Ellis Island era from 1892-1954. The new center chronicles the immigration of people to America both in the pre-Ellis era from the 16th century to 1890 and the post-Ellis years from 1954 up to today.

Phelps was chosen by the Foundation in early 2011 to construct the expansion and completed the first phase, which depicts the flow of immigrants to this country in the centuries before the opening of Ellis Island in 1892, later that same year. Construction of the second phase, covering the period from the end of World War II to the present, which was delayed by the devastating impact of Superstorm Sandy in October of 2012, is now complete. During the construction of the second phase, Phelps Construction Group completed major structural changes to Ellis Island’s kitchen and laundry building, which houses the new museum, while not disturbing the historic fabric of this national monument. Using its experience in working on historic structures and working along with the architect, structural engineer and the National Park Service, Phelps was able to accomplish these structural changes with minimum impact to the buildings.

Photo courtesy of PRNewsFoto/Phelps Construction Group.