City Moves Forward With Daycare Project
The Olney City Council on June 8 approved a request from the Olney Economic Development Corporation to move forward with converting the former Head Start facility into a Montessori-style daycare center that officials hope will help address a growing childcare shortage in the community.
OEDC Executive Director Tom Parker told council members the project would renovate the aging building at 314 Springcreek Road and create a new childcare facility to serve up to 40 children while creating three to five jobs. The center will be operated by the owners of Wagner Home & Nursery in Graham, who already run a successful childcare program there and plan to expand their services to Olney.
The operators currently serve more than 100 children in Graham after opening with about 55 students just a year and a half ago, he said. At least 16 children from Olney are already enrolled in the Graham program and would likely transfer to the local facility once it opens, he added.
The former Head Start building has sat vacant for roughly a decade. Mr. Parker said the structure will be rebuilt to existing childcare standards with new doors, windows, electrical systems, HVAC equipment, plumbing upgrades, and other improvements. No asbestos or similar issues were found during building inspections, he said.
“We’re gonna gut it,” Mr. Parker told the council. “We’re gonna bring it up to today’s standards.”
Construction preparations are already underway, with contractors identifying electrical fixtures, HVAC units, and other materials needed for the renovation. The goal is to have the facility ready before classes begin in August.
“We’re still shooting to get there,” Parker said of the timeline.
To facilitate the project, the council also approved transferring the city-owned property to the OEDC and authorized the corporation to acquire the building from Olney Hope, which currently owns the structure. The OEDC plans to fund the renovations and then sell the completed facility to the daycare operators through an interest-free financing arrangement.
Mr. Parker said the arrangement will return the property to productive use while placing it back on the tax rolls.
“This is what we’re supposed to do,” Parker said of the economic development project.
Council members unanimously approved the project, clearing the way for work to begin immediately on what they hope will become a new childcare option for Olney families by the start of the upcoming school year.