A committee of the Danbury City Council is recommending relocating some Head Start classrooms. The Connecticut Institute for Communities needs to move four classrooms from Laurel Gardens on Main Street and wants to use space in the Old Jail facility at the other end of Main Street.
The Danbury Housing Authority has indicated that it wants its Laurel Garden space back so the facility can be improved and redeveloped. CIFC already has a lease for part of the Old Jail building dating back to 2015 for one Early Childhood space. Before 2015, CIFC held the lease solely for the Woman Infant and Children Nutrition Program. The proposal is to convert the WIC program office, also operated by CIFC, and turn it into Head Start classroom space.
Ad Hoc Committee chair Councilman Warren Levy couldn't find the original lease, but former CIFC CEO James Maloney says there is no new lease proposed; it's just an update to the use of the space in the existing lease. Levy countered that it's a considerable expansion, going from one classroom to five. Maloney clarified that they're not asking for additional space, just replacing the WIC offices with classrooms.
The buildout would be done at CIFC's cost and the organization would pay a percent of utilities and other building expenses. The renovations require new child bathrooms, but could be done in a way to cause no permanent alteration of the building. Temporary partitions would also be added. The lease would have to be submitted to Zoning because they've redesigned the proposed entrance, altering the swing of the doors so they don't conflict with each other.
Head Start will have its own entrance so staff and attendees could be closed off from the general public using the main door of the building.
In a follow up meeting, the proposed lease has CIFIC taking on more of the utility cost sharing and taking on grounds maintenance like mowing and plowing, as well as garbage hauling and playground maintenance. It was noted that children are not bussed to Head Start programs, rather they are dropped off by parents at staggered times.
The City Council will consider the change at their meeting tonight.
