With construction of L.R. Wilson Hall beginning soon, planning continues on a new campus location for the McMaster Children’s Centre.

L.R. Wilson Hall is McMaster’s new home for the liberal arts to be located on the site of Wentworth House. Construction on the 150,000 sq. ft building will begin this summer, once Wentworth House is demolished. The demolition is scheduled to start in May.

This timing means that the Children’s Centre will be relocated to an interim site on campus, while a final review of long-term locations is finalized.

Beginning in May, the Centre will be situated in a new pre-fabricated building constructed on parking lot O, which is located in west campus. The location was selected because it allows for ease of access for families dropping off and picking up children, is close to green space for outdoor recreation and its availability accommodates the project timelines.

“The Children’s Centre is an important and highly-valued service for the McMaster community,” says Roger Couldrey, vice-president Administration. “We’ve been working closely with the Centre board and staff to identify the best site and plan for the relocation,” he says.

The Children’s Centre has provided updates to families as this process continued.

“We’ve worked closely with McMaster to make sure the sites under consideration meet the needs of our families,” says Debbie Crickmore, Children’s Centre director. “The interim site meets our needs and we’re excited to continue to partner with the University to select a more permanent home for our centre.”

The University and Centre continue extensive discussions regarding a permanent location. A shortlist of has been narrowed to two sites and a decision on the permanent location is expected soon.

McMaster Children’s Centre opened in 1975 to accommodate the need for child care in the McMaster community. It is a licensed non-profit self-supporting corporation that is administered by a director and board.

It is licenced for 71 children, ranging in ages from 18 months to 5 years.