Assemblywoman Addie A. E. Jenne, who secured the $6 million in funding for the project, got to do the honors and cut the "ribbon" along with campus officials, before attendees gathered for speeches, tours and refreshments.
The assemblywoman remembered touring the old SUNY Potsdam Child Care Center, located in a renovated space in Merritt Hall, the oldest building on campus, years earlier with SUNY Potsdam Child Care Center Director Lori Moulton.
"This building is not here because of me. I was part of it, but it really comes down to Lori," she told the crowd gathered in a playroom at the new childcare center.
"Lori had figured out how to have quality programming in a place that wasn't designed for anything that she was doing. It was really remarkable, and to me, it was just like, she's a North Country woman! She's going to make do with what she's got, and she's going to make it the best," Assemblywoman Jenne said.
"Well, it was time to do better, give respect to the profession (of childcare providers), give this program that space that it needs. … This community, this campus and your elected officials know that child care needs to be a priority -- and it is. Working together is how we got this accomplished," she said as she stood with SUNY Potsdam President Kristin G. Esterberg, SUNY Potsdam College Council President June O'Neill and Director Mouton.
The ceremony opened with the ribboncutting, featuring a chain of colorful construction paper links held aloft by children who attend the center.
"From the smiles we have seen, we know that this facility will impact generations to come," Dr. Esterberg said. "It seems like just yesterday that we were standing here breaking ground, and now today, the Child Care Center is filled with children who are so excited by their new place to play and learn."
In its new location, at 185 Outer Main St., across from The Crane School of Music, the 13,000-square-foot SUNY Potsdam Child Care Center building offers easy access for busy parents to drop off and pick up their children without driving through campus. The newly opened facility features seven classrooms specially designed for every age group served by the center, as well as both outdoor and indoor play areas, a commercial kitchen, laundry area, stroller storage, reception space, parent waiting area, break room and library.
Director Moulton wasn't sure if she and the staff, or the children and their families, were more excited about the center's new home.
"Thank you to the SPCCC staff for working so hard with packing, moving and setting up your new classrooms and kitchen to optimize our new space for learning and growing. The children have been very excited to see their new classrooms and to show their parents where they will learn and play," Ms. Moulton said. "We will continue to provide high-quality care, and are now able to do so in a high-quality facility."
She described in detail some of the enhancements and improvements that the new space offers, like separate indoor motor spaces for younger and older children; a new preschool project room; classroom doors and bathrooms that open directly onto the outdoor play spaces; central air, and much more. Moulton also shared that playground structures with a rubber poured-in-place play surface and shade canopies will be added outside, in the last phase of the project.
Following the ceremony, guests and families gathered to enjoy refreshments and to take tours of the new facility, peering in the glass doors of the classrooms and stopping in to say hello to the youngsters about to be picked up for the day.
"It does my heart good to see the children here in this beautiful new facility. It's the best thing," Ms. O'Neill said. "Education is our foundation here at SUNY Potsdam, and you know what? We have some future Potsdam Bears here in the crowd here today."
The new SUNY Potsdam Child Care Center facility was designed by Architectural Resources PC, and the general contractor for the project was Bette & Cring LLC.
IN THE PHOTOS:
TOP PHOTO:
Assemblywoman Addie A. E. Jenne leans down to cut the ribbon to mark the grand opening of the new $6 million SUNY Potsdam Child Care Center facility, located at 185 Outer Market St., Potsdam.:
BOTTOM PHOTOS:
Clockwise, from top left: SUNY Potsdam Child Care Center Director Lori Moulton, College Council Chair June O'Neill, SUNY Potsdam President Kristin G. Esterberg, Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, Child Care Center Board President Roberta Greene, Assistant Vice President for Facilities Andy Martin, and children Andrea Cai He, Liam Spriggs, Sylvie Hendrickson, Owen Spriggs and Kristofer Norrell.
Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne visits with Josh Snyder and his daughter, Esme, during a visit to the SUNY Potsdam Child Care Center.
Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne tours the new SUNY Potsdam Child Care Center with college President Kristin G. Esterberg.
Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne and SUNY Potsdam Child Care Center Director Lori Moulton discuss the layout of the new 13,000 square foot facility.
