Atrebla Day Care Plans Building and Program Expansion
(17 Aug 06) by Eric Gustafson, CNO Staff

Atrebla Early Learning Center, an academic child care center located at E. 35th Street and 21st Avenue, plans to expand its building and programming. Director Alberta Smith explained, “We’re adding two new classrooms to accommodate 20 more toddlers and infants. We’ll now be able to care for 54 children aged 6 weeks to 12 years.”

Atrebla’s building, originally built as a convenience store, features a dark brick façade below steep pitched shakes that meet a flat roof. Atrebla moved into the space in 2000, and has since expanded operations with a new location in north Minneapolis. The addition to its Corcoran facility will match the existing brick and feature ample glass on its north and west elevations.

The main entrance facing 35th Street will remain. The project will add a wing coming north from the east side of the front façade, creating an ‘L’-shaped plan that will reduce the existing parking lot. Smith says the parking area that will remain is ample for drop-offs and pick-ups by parents, and meets the city’s off-street requirements.

On August 10, CNO convened a community meeting to allow neighbors to learn more about the project and express any concerns. Smith and her architect were on hand. Attendance was minimal, and CNO staff heard no concerns about the project from neighbors or from the CNO Land Use and Transportation Committee. The project went before the City’s Planning Commission on August 14 and was approved. Smith expects the addition to be completed before winter.

Smith calls Atrebla’s services ‘high quality academic childcare,’ and notes they are in the process of becoming accredited. For more information about Atrebla Early Learning Center, contact Alberta Smith at (612) 724-0788, or visit www.atrebla.com.