The construction of a day-care center and the renovation of Weinland Park Elementary school will help the residents of the Weinland Park area, just east of Ohio State, overcome seemingly insurmountable problems.
“We are going to implement social services for residents such as child care and job training,” said Steve Sterrett, spokesman for Campus Partners.
The goal is to provide, expand and support services including child care, education and financial counseling — all meant to help residents get involved in the work force.
“We will provide employment training programs and provide a service coordinator to help people get jobs,” said Hal Keller, president of Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing.
With promising employment opportunities in the works for tenants, child care in the vicinity would benefit many families.
OSU is looking for a location in the Weinland Park area to move the A. Sophie Rogers Early Childhood Laboratory School, a day-care center operated by the College of Human Ecology.
A $2.5 million donation by Betty Schoenbaum funds the new childhood development center.
Andrea Bowlin, project director for the College of Human Ecology, said a location has not yet been confirmed, but said there is definitely a need in the area.
“This will not only bring excellent child care to the neighborhood, but it will expose our students to a more diverse group of children who face different issues than the middle-class children that are currently in our daycare program,” Bowlin said.
Weinland Park Elementary School, at 211 E. 7th Ave., is one of 14 Columbus schools scheduled to be rebuilt.
“Good schools lead to strong and stable communities, which in turn leads to the economic well-being of cities,” said Gene Harris, Columbus Public Schools superintendent. “We must increase the confidence of the broader community.”
A comprehensive assessment of each school — which used a “worst first” principle for prioritizing projects — put Weinland Park Elementary at the top of the list.
“The exterior structure appears fine, but when it comes to demolition, if it cost you more than two-thirds of the cost to renovate, you are to required to rebuild,” said Andrew Marcelain, spokesman for Columbus Public Schools.
The district hopes to operate social service agencies out of the school, which district officials said would help neighborhood groups be better represented.
Weinland Park Elementary School is not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“It is a two-story building with no elevators,” Marcelain said. “Upgraded technology and computer access in every classroom is ideal, but we also want to make the building accessible to all.”
The actual construction and renovation phase could take between 16 and 24 months to complete.
While the design phase should begin in the next couple of months, actual construction will not commence until January 2004, Marcelain said.
The total cost of the school, which will enroll a projected 280 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, is estimated at $5,388,950.
“Some buildings have pre-K programs, which proved to be very helpful, and the district wants to expand this program to Weinland,” Marcelain said.
During the construction phase, children will attend school at an off-site location.
“Students will attend the old Watkins Elementary School which is currently closed but has been leased out by the district in previous years,” Marcelain said.
“There may be need for transportation during the transition period, but that has not been reviewed yet,” she said.
