Place-based investing by HAN member Boston Children’s Hospital helped the NorthStar Learning Centers’ early education and care center break ground and become a reality. Boston Children’s provided a low interest patient bridge loan of $500,000 to close the project through the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation. The city of New Bedford, MA also contributed $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. The Center will provide affordable and accessible early education and will also have a commercial kitchen to promote healthy food habits and serve as a gathering place for meetings and other events.
From the SouthCoast Today article:
This new state-of-the-art 17,000-square-foot facility replacing a vacant lot will serve 135 infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers. It will include a commercial-level kitchen that will also be used in hosting community events, Rosario said.
Mayor Jon Mitchell said it will not only prepare pre-school students for the education that awaits them, it will enable parents to advance their careers and education, as well. “It will create opportunities for a whole lot of folks,” he said.
It’s also great for the Goulart Square neighborhood, Mitchell said. “This is a neighborhood that’s really on the move.”
See also: NBC10 News | New Bedford Guide