The Washington State Department of Commerce has awarded $126,000 to Spokane Housing Authority to design an early learning and child care center as part of its ongoing multifamily housing development near the Dishman Hills Natural Area in Spokane Valley. 

The planned child care center will be integrated into Orchard Vista Apartments, at 9910 E. Appleway Blvd., an ongoing project that will deliver 240 units of affordable housing, says Spokane Housing Authority Executive Director Pamela Parr.

The child care center will be developed on the same site as the apartments, on a quarter-acre lot on the northwest corner of the site, according to a press release from the agency. 

Spokane Housing Authority has not yet selected an architect, contractor, or operator but has started accepting bids, Parr says.

Preliminary design plans call for a 4,500-square-foot child care facility featuring two classrooms with an expected capacity of 36 to 40 students. These child care slots are reserved for families involved in the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program or the Working Connections Child Care program and are meant for residents of Orchard Vista or qualifying families in the area. 

The Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program is a state-funded preschool program for three- and four-year-old children in low-income or qualifying families. The Working Connections Child Care program is a Washington state program that lowers child care costs for low-income and qualifying families, with subsidies paid directly to providers.

Spokane Housing Authority will retain ownership of the facility but is planning on working with an operator that will manage the child care operations and help to design the facility.

The organization is still working to procure the construction funding for the children's learning center, and is looking into grants to cover those costs. The child care facility construction cost is yet to be determined.

Parr says the organization is working to structure the project in a way that minimizes debt on the property, allowing for a sustainable partnership with the child care provider. In addition to design funding from the state, Spokane Housing Authority has already used $580,000 of its general funds for land acquisition and site preparation work.

The residential side of the Orchard Vista Apartments project carries a $66 million price tag that is being funded by Spokane Housing Authority equity, funds from the Evergreen Impact Housing Fund, tax exempt bonds, the Washington State Department of Commerce's Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program, and the 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, Parr explains.

The Evergreen Impact Housing Fund is a private capital investment fund, managed by the Seattle Foundation, that allocates money to affordable housing projects. The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program is a federal subsidy designed to support the construction of affordable housing. The Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program covers water, sewer, and stormwater connections for affordable housing developments, and it funds some infrastructure costs. Parr says the tax exempt bonds are issued by Spokane Housing Authority.

Inland Washington LLC, of Spokane, is the contractor for the residential work at Orchard Vista. Spokane-based Wolfe Architectural Group PS is listed as the architect, according to permit information on file with the city of Spokane Valley.

The housing development will serve households earning 60% or below the area median income. The child care component is intended to address a growing need for affordable and accessible child care services for working families in Spokane Valley, says Parr.

"We are integrating support where it is needed most," she says.

Orchard Vista Apartments is also strategically located near essential services such as grocery stores, a library, and transit centers to better support residents balancing work and family responsibilities. 

"This project is specifically placed to be close to things working families will need," Parr says. 

The first housing units at Orchard Vista are anticipated to be available in May, she adds.