New Westminster is forging ahead with a much-needed Queensborough day care facility without the money it’s banking on from the province.
City council has approved issuing request for proposals (RFP) seeking a company to design, construct and install a modular child care building on a city-owned lot at 232 Lawrence St., next to the Queensborough Community Centre.
The project’s cost has been estimated at $656,000. The city is counting on a maximum grant of $500,000 coming from the province’s Major Child Care Capital Funding Program. The city has already set aside $156,000 from its general amenity fund (money collected from developers for increased density).
Last month, the province notified the city its application had advanced to the second stage of the grant process. A Sept. 11 report to council said the city has had positive conversations on the strength of its application with provincial officials. Although confirmation isn’t expected until November, the city has decided to start the RFP process with the hope the facility can be ready by next fall.
“There’s no guarantees in life, but the fact the city owns the site and the city is developing the site … and there’s a definite documented need there and the city is also putting up funds to partner around the grant funding, I think our chances are significant that we are approved,” said city acting director of planning John Stark. “As staff we feel fairly confident in our application.”
If the grant is not approved, the recommendation to council would be to not proceed with the building, said Stark.
The need for more day care in Queensborough has been growing every year as more family-friendly development is built in the community. A 2015 assessment pointed out the disparity with the rest of New West. It noted across the bridge in the West End there were 34 child-care spaces per 100 children (zero to 12 years) while Queensborough had only 8.7 spaces per 100.
Stark said New West has about 800 new child care spaces in recent years, but they’re mostly on the mainland.
“The city has been highly successful in creating new child care spaces, but the one neighbourhood we’ve had a challenge with is Queensborough,” said Stark. “There are a number of reasons for that. The floodplain can present issues with regards to existing homes that are below the flood construction level. There’s not a lot of (church buildings) that can be used for child care purposes. Commercial space is limited. Also, sometimes there’s a reluctance on part of child care operators to locate in Queensborough just because their workers have to get there.”
There’s also no guarantee the city will get a proposal from a modular building company. With school districts across the province on a teacher-hiring binge to improve classroom size and composition, the demand for portable classrooms is high. Modular buildings are also being used to combat homelessness.
“We are going with the modular building just because it is more cost-effective. It can be more timely,” said Stark.
The plan is for the new facility to have 37 spaces with 12 for infants and 25 for those 30 months to school age. The space would be leased to a non-profit operator at a nominal rate that would cover the city’s costs. Once again, there’s no guarantee the city will be able to find a non-profit to operate the facility, although Stark believes it will have a lot of things going for it to make it attractive.
The location is ideal, he said, because it’s next to the community centre and its outdoor playgrounds. It’s beside Queensborough Middle School, and Queen Elizabeth Elementary is on the other side of the community centre making it convenient for parents to drop off children at different levels of education. In addition, the land has only one-neighbouring private property and its owner “seems quite supportive,” said Stark. “There are a lot of advantages.”
