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When touring the new Campus and Community Children’s Center at SUNY Fredonia, one thing is immediately clear: this beautiful facility was designed with children’s needs at the forefront. From small square windows one foot off the ground overlooking colorful gardens to miniature toilets and sinks, there’s no question that kids come first around here.
As campus, community and government officials gathered in August to celebrate the dedication of the new center, it was only fitting that a handful of preschoolers took the lead in the ribbon cutting – with child-sized safety scissors, of course.
“Today marks the beginning of an exciting new era in child care here in our community,” said SUNY Fredonia President Dennis Hefner, who led a group of dignitaries in a larger ribbon-cutting behind the younger stars of the show. “This wonderful structure finally gives our community’s families and children the innovative facilities and valuable added space they have long deserved, to go along with the high-quality personal care they have been receiving for decades.”
The new center also meets requirements for a “Silver” rating from the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System for environmentally sustainable construction. Buffalo-based Flynn Battaglia Architects, PC, designed the facility, and in November was recognized by SUNY Fredonia as its 2010 Contractor of the Year. Patrick Development Company of East Amherst was the general contractor for the project.
The new center allows for infant care – a long sought-after goal – in addition to the toddler and pre-school care it has provided to children of student parents, community members, and campus employees since it began operating in Thompson Hall in 1974.
Located at the western edge of campus at the corner of Temple Street and Brigham Road, the terra cotta and cream-colored building, with lots of glass to capture sunlight, is surrounded by play areas.
Observation rooms in the center are also a valuable educational resource for SUNY Fredonia students enrolled in education, sociology and psychology programs to accomplish required field experience and other research. Similarly, faculty research will be enhanced due to the added capabilities these rooms will offer.
