A daycare company with locations across the greater Chicago area plans to build a new three-story facility in Bucktown.
Kensington School plans to replace four buildings at 1741-1749 North Damen Avenue, just south of The 606, Block Club Chicago reported.
The school is working to get a zoning change for the properties as they are currently approved for manufacturing usage and, under the city’s updated air quality ordinance that was approved last year, daycares can no longer be built in manufacturing districts due to pollution concerns.
“Obviously, that’s not the case here on Damen Avenue where you have mostly commercial and business uses and a lot of residential, but it just so happens that we still fall under that zoning,” attorney Sara Barnes told the Wicker Park Committee on Wednesday.
Kensington School is already under contract to buy the properties on Damen Avenue.
The new 25,000-square-foot center will include a drop-off area in the front of the building and two more in the back. Plans also call for a playground on the roof of the development.
“We really feel pretty comfortable after having seen other child care centers of this size operate quite comfortably in the city,” CEO Charles Marlas said. “We don’t think we’re doing anything that’s out of the ordinary from a traffic or size or neighborhood parking and traffic impact perspective.”
Kensington School has locations in Arlington Heights, Elmhurst, Glenview, Highlands, Hinsdale, La Grange, Lincoln Park, Naperville, Park Ridge, South Naperville, St. Charles, Western Springs and Wheaton.
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[BCC] — Victoria Pruitt