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Newmarket's Stickwood Walker property to be leased to child care centre

Denison Child Care lease to begin June 1

Yorkregion.com
May 29, 2019
Teresa Latchford

The Town of Newmarket will lease the Stickwood Walker Property to Denison Child Care.

The lease was awarded to give Denison Child Care the rights to lease the heritage Stickwood Walker farmhouse and a portion of the property beside the house on Mulock Drive, known as 605 Fernbank Rd., to use as a child care centre.

“The Town of Newmarket is excited to partner with Denison Child Care to repurpose the Stickwood Walker Property and transform it into a much-needed child care centre,” Mayor John Taylor said. “This is a great opportunity and compelling business proposition for the town to reintroduce this historical building back to community use, while securing the facilities and lands back to the town after the lease is complete.”

The lease begins June 1.

As part of the request for proposals process, it is proposed that when the lease is over, the Stickwood Walker farmhouse will be repurposed for administrative and public uses. The farmhouse will be used to display historical photographs and artifacts about the property. In keeping with the heritage designation, all exterior historical aspects of the farmhouse will be preserved.

Denison Child Care is also asking to construct a 5,000-foot building that is not attached to the farmhouse to be used as a child care centre. The addition would be northwest of the existing farmhouse, with construction expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2020.

This project will primarily be funded by the nonprofit Denison Child Care through a $2-million grant that falls under the Community-Based Early Years and Child Care Capital Funding program from York Region and the Province of Ontario.

A public meeting to consider the additional uses and to provide feedback on the property is set to take place June 17 at 7 p.m. at the municipal offices, 395 Mulock Dr.

For more information, call the town at 905-895-5193 or email info@newmarket.ca.