OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — A $19 million development called The Corridor finished in early July in downtown Oshkosh, bringing new housing and a childcare facility to Main Street.
The ground floor hosts the Oshkosh Child Development Center, which will be the first fully licensed facility in the area to offer two shifts of coverage. The center is planned to open Sept. 1 and is open to the public — not just residents of the Corridor apartments.
Board Chair Su van Houwelingen said the extended hours are designed to serve parents who work outside traditional schedules.
"You have so many people in the community that don't just work a normal 8 to 5 job. We're gonna be open from 5:30 in the morning to 11:30 at night and so they can get their children dropped off at the end of that first shift," van Houwelingen said.
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The center was partially financed by the City of Oshkosh through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money.
Common Council Member Joe Stephenson said the development meets several goals for the downtown area.
"I mean, in your downtown on Main Street, you really want density. We really want people to live here too, right? And we want it to also be affordable for people to live here, so it checks a lot of those boxes," Stephenson said.
Stephenson also called it "a perfect development."
Executive Director Liz Storms said quality childcare is personally important to her.
"I have a background as an early childhood educator. I got into childcare as the parent who needed childcare, realizing the quality that could be given to children beyond just babysitting," Storms said.
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