While many businesses have raised concerns over Prince George's downtown, Tyke Town is bucking the trend with expansions into the downtown core.

By Tommy Osborne

Downtown Business

Downtown business thriving amid concerns

Nov 13, 2024 | 4:45 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Many business owners have raised concerns about the state of Prince George’s downtown in regards to crime and safety, especially as businesses continue to leave the downtown core. However, Tyke Town, a daycare located right beside the Knox Performance Centre on 5th Avenue, is bucking the trend. Tyke Town Owner and Director Leah King says not only is she staying where she is, she’s expanding to two other downtown buildings nearby the already existing location.

“I enjoy downtown Prince George, there are some areas that are a bit more concerning, but where we are is is just like a normal downtown in any other city,” King said.

“I’m not going to diminish anybody’s concerns. However, we don’t really have any, we haven’t seen any. For us, the concern more is the community needs help with child care, that’s our concern,” she continued.

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Since opening on October 1, 2024, King said the interest she’s seen has been incredible. She says business is thriving so much that an expansion not even two months since opening was needed to keep up with demand, and both of the new buildings will be within walking distance of the Knox Performance Centre location.

“We had so many children on our waitlist that we had to close it while we’re expanding to the new locations,” King said.

“The things that we’ve been hearing from the parents are that they’re super impressed with the speed at which we are developing. Not only the speed, but also the quality of care that we’re providing,” added Tyke Town Program Coordinator Jacey Terris.

Seeing one business rapidly expand in the downtown core could mean good things for the entire downtown business scene, as the hope is that a rising tide could lift all boats.

“That (the expansion) will bring a lot more parents to the downtown core to do shopping and just be around. So if we all stick together, then we can make a better community,” King said.

“In order for us to build a vibrant downtown core, in order for us to attract more businesses down there, we need more people downtown throughout the day,” said Prince George City Councillor Tim Bennett.

Bennett added the fact it’s a childcare facility could help make life much more convenient for those still working in our downtown.

“There’s so many parents and community members who still work in our downtown core or work nearby, places like our hospitals. So the more accessible we can make child care, the closer we can put our child care to where parents are working, the better that is for families as well,” Bennett said.

While the success of one daycare downtown certainly doesn’t erase all the concerns of other downtown businesses, seeing one business expand as quickly as it is in Prince George’s downtown is certainly cause for optimism for some.

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