Day-care ctr. finds a home

University and community parents will have a newly designed, increased-capacity day-care facility within blocks of campus for their children starting next year. In January 2001, the Penn Children's Center -- a more than decade-old Penn-owned child-care center for children aged 12 weeks to five years -- will move into the former General Electric building at 31st and Chestnut streets. The University is converting the building into a luxury apartment building. PCC will occupy 10,000 square feet on the first floor of the new Westside Commons complex, along with Penn office space. The facility is also expected to feature 285 apartment units, a fitness center and 17,000 square feet of retail space. The center's current location -- which has a capacity of 76 children -- is partially housed at 43rd and Spruce streets while the site at 42nd and Locust streets is prepared for the construction of the new University-assisted public school. With a parking lot and exterior playground close by, the new 106-child capacity site will be more efficient than the old location, according to University Associate Vice President for Business Services Marie Witt. She said, however, that "the program is going to be very similar," adding that she is happy with the decision on a final location. The search for the center's new site lasted over a year, with one possible option -- constructing a new facility on the site of a burned-down church near 33rd and Chestnut streets -- proving too costly with a more than $6 million pricetag. Previous plans to lease space in the Newman Center at 37th and Chestnut streets also fell through. Yesterday, PCC Director Anjali Chawla said she was pleased that the University, along with outside childcare experts, can now design a space specifically with the center in mind. "The staff and I are really excited about this new location and looking forward to our move," Chawla added. She said the expanded program will require five new full-time staff members and a few more part-time workers, in addition to its current 37-person staff. President of the PCC Parent's Advisory Board Donna Petrelli said that while she has not yet received much feedback on the move, those parents who have spoken say they are glad to see a "win-win" result after the long search. "It's in walking distance for a lot of people who work on campus," added Petrelli, who works for Business Services. Petrelli, whose daughter currently attends PCC and will return there next year, said parents had wanted the new location to offer drop-off space, a playground and convenience. "I think that all those needs have been met," she noted. Eighty percent of the PCC's enrollment will be reserved for children of University employees.

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