A potential location for Goderich's next childcare space has been found, after council approved the rezoning of a former church.
The application was filed by the property owner of 321 Suncoast Drive, a former church that was most recently home to Zero Gravity Dance Company.
The Mixed Use Arterial space will be rezoned with special provisions, as Senior Planner Victor Kloeze said any potential private childcare space would require a by-law amendment.
"When these potential tenants started contacted the town looking for a location, it came to staffs attention that we really didn't have a lot of options for someone to start a new private daycare centre," he told council. "Daycares in the zoning bylaw were really structured to be community facilities run by the government and private daycares weren't well-anticipated for. Of the locations that were under consideration, I believe all of them would have required rezoning to establish a private daycare."
No public comments were received on the application, but members of council said it was welcome news, as the town is in desperate need of more childcare spaces.
Then Brianne Webber, a realtor with Royal LePage representing the building's owner, told council that the potential tenant would be there for the long haul.
"We are so excited about this because this is a potential 15-year lease for the Town of Goderich," she said. "So far, the drawings they've given us is for upwards of 88 children, from infant all the way to preschoolers. As a real estate agent, I will tell you that a lot of people want to move to Goderich and one of the drawbacks is a lot of people have to have two working parents. This will be able to bring families here and have a place for their parents to go and be safe during the day."
Huron County council has already approved providing $300,000 in start-up support for the venture, but it will need to get licensed with the Ministry of Education before they can enter into a service agreement.