Article Contributed on: 6/26/2009 5:57:37 PM
Preschoolers from West Denver recently joined Mayor John Hickenlooper, District 3 City Councilman Paul Lopez, child advocates, Better Denver Bond Program leaders, and contractors to celebrate completion of bond-funded improvements at three city-owned child care centers, and to kickoff the groundbreaking on a major expansion of the fourth facility; the City's Westwood Early Learning Center.
Together, the centers serve children from low-income families in the Westwood, Five Points, Cole, and Lowry neighborhoods of Denver. The group celebrated the progress made so far with speeches, ceremony, cake, and children's laughter. Preschoolers, armed with tiny shovels and buckets in rainbow hues, joined the adults in the groundbreaking ceremony held at the Westwood playground. The Westwood Early Learning Center is located at 980 South Lowell Boulevard.
"At a time when work in the private sector has slowed or halted, these bond-funded improvements are boosting economic activity and creating and maintaining jobs for Denver families," Hickenlooper said. "With these particular projects, the Bond Program is benefiting our community -- and especially our children - by improving the learning environment at these facilities."
A total of $4 million has been contracted or spent for improvements at the child care facilities, which also include the Edna Oliver Center at 2851 Tremont Place, the Northeast Center at 3503 Marion Street, and the Lowry Center at 957 Ulster Way. The projects have created work for two contracting firms, numerous subcontractors and suppliers, and a local architectural firm.
Enhancements and repairs completed at the Edna Oliver, Northeast and Lowry centers range from new roofs, new windows, insulation, and upgrades of electrical and heating systems, to more storage, ADA accessibility, landscape and playground improvements, painting and new carpet.
Expansion of the Westwood Early Learning Center is expected to be completed in Spring 2010 and will add 4,775 square feet of space to the existing 5,285 square foot facility. The facility will continue to operate throughout construction and renovation. The Westwood project will add four preschool classrooms and support facilities, and renovate the existing toddler and infant wing.
A new, large garden-patio space will serve as an outdoor classroom, and a centralized entry plaza and lobby will be created as a gathering space for family education and a more convenient place for drop-off and pick-up of children. The expansion will create nine new parking spaces and improve the building access and right of way.
Sustainability enhancements of the Westwood facility will include use of colorful recycled street signage in the building design, use of daylighting for better energy efficiency and a pleasant atmosphere, and installation of a 10 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system to augment building operations and help reduce the building's carbon footprint. The photovoltaic panels will be visible to the children, and an accompanying interactive educational display in the center's lobby will capture operations of the solar system for children and visitors.
Elizabeth Hamilton is the City's project manager for the Westwood Center Expansion, and leads a team that also includes Anna Jo Haynes, president and CEO of Mile High Montessori; Adam Ambro of Humphries Poli Architects; and John Jasek and Joseph Ekstrom of Tower One Construction.
The City of Denver's $550 million voter-approved Better Denver Bond program is working to improve, preserve, renovate and create amenities that touch citizen's lives - including roads, libraries, parks, recreation centers, child care sites, hospitals, public safety, City buildings and cultural facilities.
Twenty-five projects have been completed, 50 are in construction, and many more are in planning or design. The improvements will be completed by 2012, with many of the projects slated for completion by 2011.
For more information see
www.denvergov.org/betterdenver.