INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WISH) — A $1.7 million child care center is under construction at the Minnie Hartmann Center, a senior living facility on the east side.

The space is 11,000 square feet next to the senior apartments. The Near East Area Renewal and the Shepard Community Center is leading the project to help the quality of life for senior residents.

“Just that interaction can really help to boost health and social-emotional health so all of those different components will show impact overtime for seniors when they have a chance to interact with a younger generation in this way,” said Andrew Green, assistant executive director of Shepard Community Center.

NEAR executive director John Hay said residents are most looking forward to reading stories to children. They will have a chance to be around children every day.

“They might be interacting over a meal so kids will have breakfast lunch and dinner here,” Green said. “They could be interacting through meal time and they’ll also have a shared community space in the gym area.”

The child day care is addressing the needs of the older population and helping the lack of child care options on the east side. It will house more than 100 infants. Hay said the senior residents will be screened, trained and supervised during all interactions.

“That’s actually where the biggest need is in the community as far as child care slots go, it’s in that infant category specifically,” Green said.

Construction is expected to be completed in July and the day care will officially be open for kids in August.