After nearly four years and more than a few hurdles, the Needham Children’s Center opened its doors June 23 at its new location at 1688 Central Ave.
“We’re here and we’re operating,” said NCC Executive Director Pat Day. “The parents love it, the children love it. It’s a dream come true.”
The NCC moved from its location of 44 years at the First Baptist Church of Needham on Great Plain Avenue, which is now part of the First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plain. Day has been with the children’s center since it began in 1980 in the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church on Dedham Avenue, a location it still operates.
Day said over time the Baptist Church space became unsuitable and NCC needed to find a new home. They turned to developer Matt Borrelli at Needham Enterprises and together chose the Central Avenue location. Needham Enterprises purchased the property in 2020 and built the facility for NCC, which has a long-term, renewable lease.
The new site serves 120 children, infants through after-school, in a space that Day said she designed working with architect Mark Gluesing. “There were certain things that we all knew we really needed if we were going to build from scratch,” she said. They wanted a layout that provided a bright and open environment with tall ceilings, high-quality air and filtration systems, and a gym. “The filtration system was critical to us because of the pandemic,” said Day. “Children deserve to be in spaces where they can thrive environmentally.”
They brought over much of the equipment from their former location and have storage available in a barn on the property.
Day said they knew there would be challenges with the Central Avenue location. The project met with a series of objections from neighbors over several years. Following months of hearings the Planning Board in 2022 approved a construction permit, which was challenged, but the Zoning Board of Appeals voted in early 2024 not to revoke the permit. Ultimately the challenge was dismissed by a Land Court ruling in December 2024.
“It was a long road,” said Day, “but it was worth fighting for it and getting it for the parents and children in town. There is nothing anything like it in Needham,” she said. “The families are here and they’re delighted. We are happy and moving forward.”
As the Baptist church looks to fill the space NCC had occupied they recognize there is a continuing need for child care in Needham and hope to bring in another child care provider. Many centers in town have waiting lists, and after-school programs are full.
“What we would really prefer is to have a local or semi-local education or children’s program, ideally a preschool program because that’s what the building was built for,” said Ben Herrmann, the church property manager.
Herrmann said they have a couple of interested parties. “No single business is in a place where they want to take on the entire education wing. It is a really big space, it’s three entire floors, it takes up half the square footage of the whole property. So it’s quite a lot to fill.”
He said they have been contacted about the space by some child care programs. “It seems like it is something that is wanted.”
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