ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) – The Coddington Road Community Center is getting help from their neighbors at Ithaca College.

IC will host childcare services, including preschool and afterschool activities, in its Circle Apartments Community Building while Coddington Road Community Center undergoes a major expansion. Interested parties believe it will be mutually beneficial.

“This the embodiment of our Ithaca Forever strategic plan goal of developing cross-sector and community partnerships that address challenging issues, optimize resources, and serve the public good,” said Ithaca College President La Jerne Terry Cornish. “The demand for childcare in the Ithaca area far outstrips the number of available spaces, and we are delighted to help provide much-needed opportunities for families-who might otherwise not have access to such care while construction is taking place. Additionally, we look forward to exploring opportunities for this to provide new academic experiences for our students.”

The project is set to break ground this July and will take about 2 years, bringing dozens of children ages 3 to 12 to campus from roughly 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Heather Mount, the Executive Director of the Coddington Road Community Center, said some daycare classrooms will remain in their current location during the project. The annex building that houses the classes moving to IC will be removed from the property prior to beginning construction. Officials say there will be no disruption to regular campus operations.

“This collaboration will not only allow us to continue operations in a safe manner, but it will also offer possibilities for multi-generational learning experiences,” said Mount. “We are grateful that our neighbors at Ithaca College have stepped up to assist us as we embark on this project to expand the local childcare capacity.”

The partnership is pending approvals from the Town of Ithaca Planning Board and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.