"We're looking at trading some land with the Development Foundation to build the center on Wheat Street," he said. "I am very hopeful that some time next fall we will have a new Child Development Center on campus."
Odom said he has talked with representatives from S.C. ETV about the possibility of combining the University's center with ETV's childcare facility, Children's Place. "They're interested in knowing if they can partner with us on a permanent basis, and they talked to us about either building there on their ground or using our facilities," Odom said. "The private developer we're working with who is going to build the facility from his corporation is not very interested in building at ETV. Right now, the discussions are aimed at incorporating the Children's Place into our facility."
The center would partner with Gateway Academy, a private contractor that provides childcare, to build the facility at Pickens and Wheat streets, where tennis courts are now located. The center and Gateway had planned to build the facility at Blossom and Henderson streets, but the city of Columbia's planning commission denied a rezoning request needed for the project.
If built, the new center, which would serve about 200 children, would be about the same size as the building planned for Blossom Street–about 23,500 square feet of childcare and research space.
The Child Development Center moved to a temporary location at Whaley and Bull streets when Booker T. Washington was demolished to make room for the South Quad residence hall. The temporary center would stay open until the new facility is complete.
Three candidates for the position of dean of the College of Social Work have visited campus, Odom said. He added that he has met with the search committee and President Palms and "we will be moving forward."
In other business, senators denied a motion that the "Reports of Officers" be permanently removed from the Faculty Senate agenda. The next Faculty Senate meeting will be at 3 p.m. Dec. 5 in the Law School Auditorium.
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