Northampton Borough Council this evening will weigh in on the $80.7 million Northampton Area Middle School project.

A favorable vote is expected to pave the way for the school district to solicit construction bids. The new school is projected to be open for the 2015 school year.

The borough planning commission last Wednesday concluded a series of hearings for the new middle school.

Following the 90-minute meeting, during which time final details were presented and questions answered, the five-member planning commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the plans, which include several auxiliary projects.

Borough Manager Gene Zarayko, present at the planning commission's meeting on Wednesday and at other sessions, supports approval of the middle school project.

Council has been supportive since plans for a new middle school were first made public. Council agreed earlier to turn over to the school district some park land including the area where the tennis and basketball courts are located.

No citizens at the planning commission meeting expressed opposition to the new middle school.

Much of the hearing dealt with traffic flow. The school district, engineers and other professionals agreed at the borough's request to prohibit construction vehicles from accessing the site from Laubach Avenue. It was recommended such traffic should come and go from Route 329 to the construction site.

More parking is projected to be available when the project is finished.

The school district will build new basketball courts at the municipal park. The tennis facilities will not be replaced. Instead the public could utilize the school district's outdoor tennis courts on Laubach Avenue, across from the high school, when the school does not have any practices or games scheduled.

Borough officials were told demolition of the present middle school circular pods will take place once the new middle school is opened to students.

During construction, the area will be fenced.