Groundbreaking took place Tuesday morning at the site of the Texas A&M system’s newest public-private partnership project.
It’s the first phase of an intergenerational care facility.
Located on Hensel Street west of Texas Avenue, a two story pre-school for 235 children is scheduled to open this August.
The next phase is a senior living facility. Construction is anticipated to start next summer on approximately 80 assisted living units and 32 memory care units.
Residents will interact with the day care children. And several Texas A&M colleges will be involved.
For instance, the college of education will start a new teacher certification program for early childhood through third grade.
And students in the health sciences and engineering will be among those involved in research relating to developing and deploying technologies in elder care and memory care.
The new preschool gives A&M two facilities, joining the existing Becky Gates Children’s Center.
Click below to hear comments from the groundbreaking ceremony.
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From the Texas A&M system:
The Texas A&M University System wants to bring together children and older Texans in a place where everyone can learn and thrive.
The Texas A&M University System and private developers broke ground Tuesday on an intergenerational care facility in College Station. The first part of the project will focus on children and will provide educational experiences in a new preschool. Later, as part of a broader complex, an assisted living center for older adults will be added to the site.
“We have a shortage of daycare space around here for university and System employees, and we have been eager to address the problem in an innovative way,” Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said. “We chose the approach of intergenerational care because it is good for everybody. Adults benefit from increased socialization and a renewed sense of purpose, while children get more one-on-one attention and a genuine connection to the past.”
The involvement of Texas A&M’s College of Education and Human Development in the preschool will allow undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to learn and participate in the care and education of young people.
The preschool is scheduled to open August 2019 and will include full-day programming and services, including after-school tutoring and family support. It will be two stories with approximately 15,000 square feet on the first floor and about 11,000 square feet on the second floor. It will serve approximately 235 children.
On first floor, the preschool will have an observational corridor for parents, teachers and staff. And the second floor will include adult classrooms and office space to be used by the College of Education and Human Development. Faculty and staff members will use the space to provide instruction and professional development and conduct research.
Dr. Joyce Alexander, dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University, added that the space also will be used for training as part of a new teacher certification for early childhood through Grade 3 specialists.
“The early learning center is going to provide the best possible laboratory for our students who want to work in early childhood development,” Dr. Alexander said. “The vision for the center – and eventually for the combined intergenerational facility – perfectly reflects our dedication to service and our drive to give something back to the youngest and oldest generations of Texas.”
The facility is being built to meet the needs of families in the Brazos Valley. While several quality childcare and family service providers already exist in Bryan-College Station, more options are needed in the rapidly growing community.
Texas A&M System officials anticipate construction of the senior living facility will begin next summer. It will consist of approximately 80 assisted living units and 32 memory care units. In addition to serving as a senior living facility, it will be a true living laboratory to conduct education, clinical instruction and research for Texas A&M faculty and students.
Texas A&M Health Science Center and Texas A&M College of Engineering – as well as other colleges, schools and departments at Texas A&M – will utilize the facility for research relating to developing and deploying technologies in elder care and memory care.
The management team will be led by, both national firms specializing in the healthcare industry. The early childhood development center will be managed and operated by Gibson Hasbrouck & Associates, whose CEO, Vicki Gibson, PhD, has national experience in programming and curriculum development.