PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — P.J. Notargiacomo has been hard at work for months on a special project.
The junior at La Salle Academy in Rhode Island just finished crafting a replica of his high school out of Lego.
“It’s been a really well-kept secret,” he said.
Notargiacomo told NewsNation affiliate WPRI that he is doing it in celebration of the Academy Avenue school’s 100th anniversary.
“I’ve loved Lego my whole life and being able to do this on such a grand scale for my school — it is really an honor,” he said, estimating that he’s used more than 9,000 Lego bricks on the replica.
The Rams football player didn’t come up with the idea on his own.
Notargiacomo told WPRI that La Salle Academy principal Tim Welsh called him into his office eight months ago to gauge his interest in building the replica.
“I heard P.J. had a real talent for building with Lego, and I remember taking my kids to Lego Land and seeing replicas of Fenway Park and the Empire State Building,” Welsh explained. “I thought, as we’re celebrating the 100th year of La Salle in this iconic building, this could be a great opportunity.”
“He brought it up the idea and I was all for it,” Notargiacomo added.
Notargiacomo has been quietly constructing the replica using the school’s blueprints and a Lego building software he found online.
“It’s surreal — I just look at it and I can’t believe I did this,” he said. “It’s kind of crazy.”
Welsh is also extremely impressed.
“The amount of time he put in on the design — it was something I could have never imagined,” Welsh said. “I thought he would just be sitting down and putting blocks together.”
Notargiacomo told WPRI that his replica will be unveiled on Sept. 27 at La Salle’s homecoming football game.
“The plan is — we’re going to carry it out of the garage and put it into my dad’s pickup truck,” he said. “My dad is going to drive really slowly, he told me.”
Though he’s thrilled for everyone to see his masterpiece, Notargiacomo admitted he can’t wait until it’s officially out of his hands.
“I’m beyond excited,” he said. “But let me tell you — there’s going to be a lot of weights lifted off my shoulders.”