After 10 years of calling the Childgarden School building home, The St. Louis Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC) is moving out. Saint Louis University purchased the building nearly two years ago and is expected to move in, perhaps soon as January.

The Childgarden School sits on the west end of campus at 3840 Lindell. For the last 10 years it has been a child-care facility run by the ARC. The organization will relocate to a building that is currently under renovation at 4150 Laclede.

After many delays in the process of relocation, Cathy Meets, Executive Director of the ARC, expects to relocate to their new location in early January of 2001. The move has been credited with an attempt to make the project more affordable.

The ARC is no longer acting alone in their mission to deliver great child care to the children of St. Louis. The Easter Seals merged with the ARC on Sept. 1 of this year in another effort to make the project more affordable.

The St. Louis ARC and Easter Seals provide child care to many St. Louis children, some of whom have special needs. According to Meets, nearly 20 percent of the children who are offered care are special-needs children.

After being approached by the ARC, SLU purchased the building from the ARC on Jan. 22, 1999. Since then the ARC has been paying a monthly rent to the University. SLU was supposed to be given access to the 80-year-old building on April 22, 2000.

Meets is excited about their new location, saying that they will be conveniently located near St. Louis’ major hospitals, including Barnes, Cardinal Glennon and SLU Hospital. Meets also believes that the location will benefit both faculty and students of SLU who have young children. “It is an opportunity to have good, quality child care close to campus,” Meets said.

The building and organization has had a deep history with the students of SLU.

SLU students have used the facility as a training center.

Physical therapy students, speech pathologists, education majors and social workers have volunteered, interned or worked for the Childgarden School.

“I couldn’t say how many students have interned here . likely more than 100 per year,” said Meets.

Though admitting the Childgarden School is a “low-market profile,” Meets said, “The building served as a great site of learning for students.”

According to Kathleen Brady, Vice President of Facilities Management and Civic Affairs, SLU does not presently have plans for the building.