Photo by: Derek Redd
Chris Figaretti, senior pastor of Newbridge Church, tells the assembled crowd Thursday about the new Newbridge Academy for Kids, which will soon open in downtown Wheeling.
WHEELING — Chris Figaretti, pastor of Newbridge Church in Wheeling, had known for some time that the lack of child care options was a problem for the congregation. It wasn’t until he looked into it more deeply that he realized the problem had reached critical proportions.
Instead of simply sitting back and complaining about the problem, Figaretti and the Church decided to become part of the solution.
Church members and other community leaders on Thursday recognized Newbridge’s bid to solve the child care problem and cut the ribbon to open the Newbridge Academy for Kids, which will accommodate 236 children from kindergarten through high school at peak attendance.
Newbridge Academy offers comprehensive programs from infant to preschool, as well as day and afternoon care for children up to age 12.
“We realized how big the problem was: waiting lists of 20 to 30 months,” Figaretti said. “And we realized we have this building. We can do something.”
“The pieces fell into place,” he continued, “and it became very clear what we needed to do. And the opportunity to do it here in the heart of downtown, with the plaza behind us and the playground we were able to build here, is just a really great concept that we were excited to be a part of.”
The new academy is located in a building dating to 1892 at 1000 Market Street. Newbridge Church has completely renovated the 24,000-square-foot facility, dedicating 21,000 square feet of it to Newbridge Academy. The other 28,000 square feet will be dedicated to NB Cafe, a coffee shop with a Main Street entrance that is scheduled to open sometime in September.
The facility also has an indoor and outdoor playground with natural play area, as well as several age-appropriate classrooms and a media room. The outdoor playground and cafe are open to the public. The playground is open to the public outside of school hours.
“Together we will create an environment where children feel safe and loved,” said Rachael Goldbaugh, executive director of Newbridge Academy, “and we will work with families to give these children the best possible start in life.”
New Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder knows firsthand the impact Newbridge Church can have on the community and how committed it is to improving the city around it. When Magruder was executive director of the Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority, which gave him jurisdiction over WesBanco Arena and the Capitol Theater, Newbridge Church – then known as The Vineyard Church – asked him to use the Capitol Theater for its Sunday services.
Magruder said he has not only secured a tenant, but also a partner. The church has made several significant investments in the theater, and church officials said the theater can use the equipment whenever it needs it.
“This is a game changer,” Magruder said of the new facility. “Child care is an incredible need in our community, and to combine that with renovating this building and bringing life to downtown … to have children here every day and to be able to hear their screams of joy … it’s priceless.”
“I greet and thank the congregation of Newbridge Church,” he added. “They don’t just believe in the Spirit. They believe in Wheeling.”
Newbridge Academy is currently undergoing finishing touches and Figaretti said the facility hopes to open in early September, if not sooner. It will initially take in around 75 children while staff get up to speed.
Figaretti is extremely excited about the future of Newbridge Academy and its impact on child care options in Wheeling.
“It’s kind of surreal,” he said. “If you told me it would take eight months to build, I would have said you were crazy. But it was really breathtaking to see it all come together. And standing here on the edge and seeing kids running around is the best feeling in the world.”
