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By Martin McNamara
Two years ago, The Preschool Project, a provider of affordable childcare and childcare training, found itself just out of reach of a critical goal. The organization was offered a permanent facility, the vacant East Baptist Church in Fishtown. But this prospective new home needed substantial improvements. The Preschool Project had identified an ideal funding source, Pennsylvania's competitive grant program for childcare providers. However, the grant deadline was approaching quickly and the nonprofit lacked even basic documentation of the project site.
The Preschool Project turned to the Community Design Collaborative and, through the efforts of three determined volunteers, they were able to meet the grant deadline and successfully secure the funding. According to Michelle Robinson, the volunteer architect who led the effort to survey the church and create measured drawings, "It was not a big project, but it was a key project at a crucial time".
"This is a really good example of how the Collaborative participates importantly in the design process," says Robinson. "The client needed a small amount of work done that they otherwise could not have afforded to do." Susan Dietrich, Business Manager for the Preschool Project, agrees. "We didn't have any money to hire design professionals, yet we needed professionally done drawings in order to attract funders." Dietrich emphasizes that, "The Collaborative's work was essential in allowing us to approach funders."
With this first successful grant and subsequent grants, The Preschool Project was able to hire Armstrong Kaulbach Architects and, ultimately, proceed with construction of the Woolston Child and Family Center. The nonprofit recently completed Phase 1, an $800,000 project to do substantial abatement and repairs as well as build four classroom spaces on the ground floor. The renovated facility opened on September 8 of this year, creating 54 new daycare slots in an underserved neighborhood. The former church will also provide new training space for parents and daycare providers. The Preschool Project is now preparing for Phase 2 — the construction of its new headquarters on the upper level of the building.
Dietrich says that working with the Collaborative was a great experience, "It's how we got the ball rolling." Project Architect Lisa Armstrong, AIA, adds, "There's no question that one of the primary reasons we were able to meet The Preschool Project's ambitious goal of opening this new facility this school year was the Collaborative's early involvement ."
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