Childcare Center Proposed for Civic Center

Northern Blooms Montessori, which operates an early childhood education center in the Commongrounds Cooperative building on Eighth Street, has proposed opening a new location at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center.

Project partners say the center could help address the local childcare shortage in an ideal setting: a centrally located park with numerous recreational offerings. The county’s Parks and Recreation Strategic Planning Subcommittee will discuss the concept at their 5:30pm meeting tonight (Tuesday), while Traverse City planning commissioners will discuss zoning changes that could accommodate the project at their 6pm meeting Wednesday. 

The nonprofit Northern Blooms operates two multi-age classrooms at Commongrounds. The toddler classroom hosts children ages 12-36 months old, while the primary classroom hosts children ages 36 months-6 years old. “Montessori education is designed to nurture the whole child – intellectually, socially, and emotionally,” according to the organization’s website. 

Kate Redman helped spearhead the Commongrounds development and has a daughter enrolled at Northern Blooms. She is now the executive director of the nonprofit Nest Community Partners, with a mission to support affordable housing and childcare options. Nest is working to “incubate additional childcare spaces” in Traverse City and is assisting Northern Blooms – which has been looking for a second location – with the real estate development and buildout, Redman says.

Grand Traverse County’s own real estate moves created the possibility for a childcare center at the Civic Center, Redman says. Construction is underway now on Project Alpha, the county’s expansion of its LaFranier Road campus. When complete next year, the county’s facilities department will relocate from the Civic Center to LaFranier Road. Norte, a prominent Civic Center tenant, will move into the facilities building.

That will free up a small adjacent building – located near the Civic Center Drive bridge off the Howe Arena parking lot – now home to Norte’s offices. Northern Blooms would fund and manage all improvements necessary to make the space compliant with state childcare licensing requirements. Those will likely include an electric HVAC system upgrade, plumbing/kitchen/bathroom improvements, minor entryway modifications, a handful of designated parking spaces for drop-off/pick-up, and a small fenced outdoor area.

While rental rates still need to be negotiated, Northern Blooms is seeking a lease of at least 5-10 years to offset the capital investments. The group offered to barter a certain number of parking spots at both of its locations for county employees in exchange for a potential rent reduction (Commongrounds is directly across from the Governmental Center).

The proposal would allow Northern Blooms to relocate its primary classroom to the Civic Center, offering older children significantly expanded outdoor recreational amenities. Along with a new toddler classroom, the Civic Center could host 28 children total. The Commongrounds location could host 16 children in its infant and toddler classrooms, bringing the total number of children served to 44. Northern Blooms noted that childcare is one of the top issues residents want county leaders to address and would meet the county’s goal of activating the Civic Center as a “multi-generational hub.”

“The Civic Center is an exceptional location for early childhood education. Its direct access to green space, trails, and outdoor recreation supports the nature-based learning and physical activity that are critical to healthy child development,” the group wrote, pointing to on-site programming by Norte and the YMCA. “For working families, the Civic Center offers a central location with convenient parking and straightforward drop-off and pick-up access – advantages that are increasingly difficult to find at other potential sites.”

The proposal is still in its preliminary stage, requiring review not only by the Parks and Recreation Strategic Planning Subcommittee but the Parks and Recreation Commission and then county commissioners. If the county agrees to a partnership, next steps will include further due diligence on the building, finalization of the project plans and budget, and fundraising, according to Redman. Northern Blooms plans to work with Cunningham Limp and architect Ray Kendra, with site improvements to potentially start next spring ahead of a targeted summer/fall 2027 opening. That schedule is contingent not only on lease negotiations but on the timely completion of Project Alpha, Redman notes.

Traverse City planning commissioners are considering zoning changes for childcare centers that would allow the project to proceed. Though a county park, the Civic Center is within city zoning limits. One change being considered is to make childcare facilities a use by right in all zoning districts, including Open Space (OS) – a designation that includes the Civic Center. Planning commissioners could agree Wednesday to schedule a public hearing on the changes for September, after which they would head to city commissioners for final approval.

While the proposal must still “go through the normal channels,” County Director of Parks and Facilities John Chase sees the benefits of the project. “We know there's a continuous gap in the community for childcare services,” he says. “To be able to potentially locate something like this here and get kids outdoors – I see that as a potential win.”