SAN DIEGO — Design work is now underway on San Diego City College’s new Child Development Center (CDC). Scheduled for completion in 2019, the CDC will span approximately 10,000 square feet with a construction budget of $5.2 million. The CDC will be the last ground-up project for the district under its $1.555 billion Propositions S and N construction bond program.

The CDC will be used as a teaching facility and will be fully integrated into the college’s child development curriculum, allowing San Diego City College students to participate and observe the classroom and playground activities, according to a statement by locally based architectural studio domusstudio architecture, which is designing the project.

To ensure the new facility was tailored to San Diego City College’s specific needs, domusstudio architecture held meetings with both administrators and staff to determine current and anticipated requirements. Integrating feedback, the facility is being designed to provide a safe and nurturing space for 72 children. It will include two preschool classrooms, two toddler classrooms and two infant rooms. All classrooms will be designed to allow for flexibility and creativity within the age-specific classes.

“The interior classrooms of the Child Development Center will play a secondary role to the outdoor play and learning environments — this is where the fun and development will really happen,” said Wayne Holtan, principal at domusstudio architecture, in a statement. “Play as learning represents some of the newest strategies in child development.”

International firm Cumming, an expert in educational construction project and cost management services, is providing the initial cost estimates for the new center on behalf of domusstudio. Cumming will be overseeing the critical preconstruction phase to make sure the design aligns with the budget and timeline established by the district. San Diego-based J.E. Moore Company, which serves as San Diego City College’s campus project management team, will provide construction management services for the CDC.

The $1.555 billion Propositions S and N construction bond program will also provide new state-of-the-art instructional and career training facilities, major renovations, and campus-wide infrastructure projects at City, Mesa and Miramar colleges as well as at seven continuing education campuses throughout San Diego.