Ardent Preschool & Daycare has broken ground on its seventh location, this one at Redstone Gateway in Huntsville.
Redstone Gateway is a mixed-use office and technology park located just outside the main gate of Redstone Arsenal. The new school will provide services to community families and those commuting to the office park or arsenal who have small children.
The 22,000-square-foot facility will be designed by TurnerBatson, an architectural and interior design firm in Birmingham who has partnered with Ardent on two of its other locations. It will be built by Murray Building Co. Ardent also has hired TJ Lee, of Leeland Ventures, as the local childcare developer, bringing more than 25 years of experience to the site.
“We are excited to work once again with TurnerBatson on the innovative model for Ardent Preschool that will be built outside Redstone Arsenal,” said Ardent CEO John LaBreche. “The two new locations recently built in the Hoover, Alabama area have been well received by parents seeking the highest quality of care for their children.”
The Ardent facility at Redstone Gateway will house 18 classrooms for children ages six weeks through kindergarten, allowing teachers ample room to educate, lead Bible lessons and plan arts and crafts activities. Classrooms will include interactive smart boards, encouraging student involvement and one-on-one training.
The facility also will have a commercial-grade warming kitchen, customized art display boards throughout the hallways, color-coded wayfinding and a splash pad, along with age-appropriate play areas. Security will include secure entrances with high-definition cameras and a state-of-the-art security system.
Ardent Preschool & Daycare, formerly Covenant Classical Schools, aims to enhance young minds through academic abilities. Beyond the basics of reading, math and writing, Ardent offers arts and crafts, Bible, sign language, biblical character development, Spanish and extracurricular activities that are specialized to each location.
Ardent currently has four locations in the Birmingham area — Greystone, Valleydale, Trace Crossing and Patchwork Farms-Vestavia — and two locations in Huntsville — Jones Valley and Exchange Place.
