New River Heights Fire Hall Daycare

 

 

Site of the controversial fire hall and now daycare

The plans for the new daycare

Ask any parent what there is a shortage of and they will say daycare spaces. Any daycare spaces affordable or not.

The disposition of the old fire hall has not been one of the finer moments for the city. It still may be years before we find out what the final tally is for trying to swap land.

There were two bids for the building for daycare spaces. In the end one of the plans appeared better planned out although for a bit less money to buy the building. The Rady Jewish Community Campus will be the new owner and operator of a daycare inside the confines of the old fire hall. The 48 childcare spaces will be available to any child in the area.

The Rady Centre already operates a daycare on the Jewish campus for around 100 kids. They come to the Sir John Franklin site with a reputation already in the field.

The city's main concerns asides from finding a buyer  was to ensure the bus loop remained forever. It will.

The other concern was parking. Two small spots will be where the fire truck main doors were and staff parking is on the side. It isn't a lot of spots. It remains to be seen if traffic becomes an issue.

In the end, this was a good use of a city property. One wonders what a private developer would have come up with. Perhaps it would have been a daycare, maybe a home/light industrial spot.

The new daycare will be a welcome addition to the area and another plus for River Heights families when considering what neigbourhoods are good for families.