With the zoning requirements now satisfied, work can progress on the development of a new child care facility in Dauphin.
At its regular meeting, July 15, Dauphin city council approved a conditional use application to allow for a 120 space child care facility on Dauphin Recreation Services land at the corner of Sixth Avenue Southeast and Third Street Southeast.
Dauphin Economic Development manager Martijn van Luijn, who is spearheading the project for the city, said the design process is about two-thirds complete.
“We’re going to get ready for a Class B estimate. That means that the design is finalized, nothing will change, we’re meeting all the regulatory requirements, but now it’s about what nuts and bolts go where. All about the technical details, so that they can go out and tender this,” van Luijn said, adding an online call for suggestions for a facility name garnered about 45 entries and he will consult with the facility operator to decide.
Parkland Campus Kids was selected as the day care operator early in the process and van Luijn said the established child care organization has been instrumental in the design process.
“They’ve played an intergral role to decide which bench is going to go where and which toilet is needed and all that kind of stuff,” he said.
“So it’s been very neat to have them as part of that.”
Once those smaller design details have been finalized, the tender is expected to be issued sometime this fall.
“It’s all about the bid process and how quickly you can find a contractor to build it,” van Luijn said.
While that process unfolds, van Luijn hopes that site preparation can begin this fall to try and keep the project as close to the Mar. 31, 2025, deadline as possible.
“We’ve had some delays and we’re probably going to have to extend that deadline, but we have some flexibility there so we’re not worried about that. We would have loved to been ahead more at this point, but I guess with all the pressures in the industry and not having people available, it’s at a stand still at this point,” he said, adding people should expect to see some activity at the site before the snow flies.
Read the full story in this weeks Dauphin Herald.
