Dixon YMCA breaks ground on new child care center

DIXON – It was a day of celebration Monday, as local officials gathered in the Dixon Gateway Development area to break ground for the Dixon YMCA’s 15,000-square-foot Lovett Child Development Center.

The new child care facility at 1675 Fulfs Lane, Dixon, on the west side of Galena Avenue and across from Walmart, will expand on services offered through the YMCA by providing child care services for children ages infant to 5 and increasing capacity to more than 200 families, according to a YMCA news release. It will house more than 12 new classrooms, two gross motor skills rooms, kitchen services, a nurses station, two outdoor playgrounds and an area for outside services from YMCA partner agencies. The project’s cost is estimated at $4.6 million.

Dixon City council memeber Mike Venier emceed Monday’s ceremony, beginning the event by detailing the YMCA’s 151-year history in the Dixon community. Among the major milestones he listed was the Dixon YMCA’s addition of preschool programs in 1973.

“And now in 2023, we’re ground breaking a new 15,000-square-foot facility to house all child care,” he said. “We would be a far lesser community without the existence of our YMCA and all of its past 151 years of service to our community.”

Mayor Glen Hughes, who has served as a YMCA board member and volunteer, said discussions had happened over the years on what the YMCA could do to better serve the community and how to expand its facilities. He said the child care center plans have exceeded his expectations, particularly when it comes to its potential impact on the families of Dixon and surrounding areas.

“This child care center will be a great addition to Dixon and the future of this community,” he said.

City Manager Danny Langloss pointed to the growth happening in the Gateway project area, including the construction of a new Chipotle restaurant across the road, construction on a nearby multi-tenant building, and earth work being done at the Casey’s and Fairfield Hotel sites.

“What an exciting time to be in Dixon,” he said.

“But today we come to celebrate the YMCA,” he said, thanking XSITE Group and Walsh Partners for their investment in the city of Dixon over the years. “They’ve got a long history of investing in Dixon and because of their vision for this site all of this is underway. Charlie and your team, thank you so much.”

Conversations began back in September 2022 on how to address the YMCA’s space and capacity issues. The Dixon YMCA, XSITE group and Walsh Partners worked closely together to make the new construction happen, according to a YMCA news release. Representatives from all three organizations joined city officials at the ground-breaking ceremony. Also in attendance was Heather Grobe, the YMCA’s Youth and Child Development director.

“There are 3,000 kids that are underserved from infant to 5. We hope to make a dent in that,” said Andy McFarlane, CEO of the YMCA. “This center is going to be awesome for us to be able to do that. The new Lovett Child Development Center will bring more child care for years to come.”