Day care facility breaks 'green' ground

BILL McDONALD

Connecticut Post Online

MILFORD — After four years of looking for a new home, officials helped break ground Monday for the first "green" child-care center in Connecticut .

House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, was one of the officials lauding the progress of what he called Good Shepherd Day Care Center 's "cutting-edge facility" at 170 Old Point Road .

"We're very excited," said Amann, who grew up in the neighborhood where the new day-care facility will be built. "Good Shepherd needed more space and they got it. St. Gabriel's School sold some of their property to help pay for needed renovations. And this facility is so close to three other schools to be convenient for moms." 

Good Shepherd Executive Director Gloria Hayes said the new building, expected to be open in early 2008, should ease a waiting list crunch to help middle- and low-income families.

"We now have room for 24 infants and toddlers," she said of the existing quarters in a wing of St. Peter's Church, in the center of the city. "When we move in, we'll have room for 56. For preschoolers, we have 29 now and will be able to take 36 there. 

"With the help of state and town officials, we've crossed some big hurdles," she said. "We've found and bought the land and secured a major part of the funding. We're very happy to be at this point." 

The new 10,000-square-foot, one-story facility, about double the size of the downtown quarters, is set to be built on an acre and a half of land on Old Point Road, south of Naugatuck Avenue and behind St. Gabriel's School. 

Hayes explained the building is the first of its kind in the state, and the first of any building in Milford , to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

To be certified a "green building," a project must meet certain criteria, such as using environmentally friendly building materials, energy efficient lighting and high-performance heating and cooling equipment. 

Hayes said the project was awarded a $3 million loan from the state Health and Education Facilities Authority, 89 percent of which would be paid back by the state Department of Social Services.

Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr. also welcomed progress of the new facility. 

"The quality of day-care and early childhood education pays dividends many times over for years," the mayor said. "Good Shepherd has been known to help the poorest of the poor pay on a sliding scale with help from the state Department of Social Services. Today was the culmination of many state agencies coming together to make this groundbreaking possible."