Demolition will get underway Nov. 1 for the new child care facility being built on Edmonton Avenue in Penticton. The new facility will replace two current structures located in Kiwanis Park that have reached the end of their service life, said the city of Penticton.
The new publicly-funded facility will offer 116 licensed child care spaces when it opens in September 2022. The child care facility is a partnership between the city, province and OneSky Community Resources. OneSky currently operates child care out of that property.
“Space for childcare in Penticton has long outpaced demand, leading to challenging circumstances for families and employers,” said Penticton mayor John Vassilaki.
OneSky executive director Tanya Behardien said the expanded child care spaces will help more families have access to quality, affordable and inclusive child care.
The new facility is being made possible by a 60-year land lease and grant and construction agreement that saw the city contribute the land, the province contribute the majority of funding with a $2.95 million capital grant, and OneSky will operate and maintain the facility and licensed child care program.
OneSky has engaged local firms Landform Architecture and Greyback Construction to build the new child care centre. During the associated public engagement process, 97.9 per cent of respondents supported the project.
Construction was hoped to get underway in summer but will start now with the competition date unchanged of September 2022.
During the construction, the existing Little Triumphs child care facility will continue to be used.
The nearby Safety Village will also continue to be accessible during construction, however the washroom building will be demolished due to its age.
READ MORE: Plans for new child care facility finalized
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
<>@PentictonNews
newstips@pentictonwesternnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.