After over five years of work, the Winchester Public School child care project is finally moving forward.
The Upper Canada District School Board announced earlier this week that it has received approval from the Ministry of Education to address a long-time community need for child care services.
The project will include a three-room child care center added to the school.
UCDSB Superintendent of Schools David Coombs says they have been working with the municipality and the local hospital to ensure this need was met.
“If you’ve driven around the area, you know that traffic flow is an issue,” Coombs said. “This is going to solve a lot of those issues. So, we really had to collaborate with all the different partners to make sure this happened the way it was supposed to and that it would be a benefit to the kids and the community.”
The board says it has entered into a lease agreement with North Dundas to lease parts of Louise Street, Clarence Street and York Street.
The school board will also work with the municipality to convert York Street and part of Louise Street into one-way thoroughfares, while a bus loading and unloading zone will be added to Clarence Street to help improve safety.
Coombs says the school board expects to tender the project this spring.
“It will also include improvements to the school itself, as well as improvements to the general traffic flow in and around the school and hospital,” Coombs said. “We have to go ahead and put this out to tender and it is looking like we’ll be breaking ground on this in the summer of 2021. So, it will be happening sooner rather than later.”
The school will also undergo renovations which include a gym floor replacement, updated roofing, video security installation as well as new doors, new boilers and new rooftop mechanical units, painting, exterior site signage and classroom sinks.
Coombs says improved parking and landscaping are also part of the project scope.
The project represents a $5.4 million investment in the school.
