A Queenstown couple are to build a new preschool child-care centre in Mosgiel that will cater for up to 75 children and provide up to 14 new jobs.
Simone Flight and George Crossan expect to have their ''Wee Nippers'' centre open by spring next year.
The centre will be built on a 2000sq m section in the Highland Park subdivision, at the corner of Factory Rd - the site is beside 164 Factory Rd - and a yet-to-be-developed street called Ayreshire Dr.
The couple, who own and operate a Wee Nippers in Invercargill, received consent from the Dunedin City Council for the centre last month.
Ms Flight said their centres were not part of any franchise or chain.
They had been operating the Invercargill centre for three years and liked to have a hands-on role in the business, so were getting used to driving the ''long triangle'' between Queenstown, Invercargill and Mosgiel.
''We are really excited to be bringing our concept to Mosgiel. We've been working really hard on it.''
Mosgiel was a growing area and there was increasing demand for child care in the area, so it seemed a good time to get involved there, she said.
The centre would employ a manager and have a high child-to-teacher ratio, as well as its own kitchen.
It is proposed to establish a 1.9m high acoustic fence around the boundary of the centre.
The centre would look exactly like their Invercargill centre, other than the colour, which would be green.
As working parents, she and Mr Crossan knew what it was like to work child care in with busy lives and to accommodate that, the centre would be open for child care from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Ms Flight said.
Tenders for the construction of the centre were expected to be advertised for soon.
