New child care center to replace vacant preschool in Yorkville

The second-largest early education and child care operator in the country by next year is set to open in the building at 708 E. Veterans Parkway in Yorkville that formally housed The Heartland School preschool.

Learning Care Group, which operates more than 1,975 schools nationwide, has signed a 10-year lease to open The Children’s Courtyard, one of its 11 brands, at the location. The Children’s Courtyard specializes in offering kids active learning experiences through direct, hands-on experiences with people, materials and ideas.

The new school is set to open in fall 2024.

Fortec, a Miami-based real estate development company, has bought the building and is investing an additional $500,000 into remodeling the building. Renovations included completely remodeling the interior, adding state-of-the-art equipment, upgrading the playground and installing new exterior signage.

The school will serve about 170 students when it opens next year along with creating 30 new jobs in the community. The building was vacant for more than a year before Fortec bought the 10,000-square-foot building for $2.4 million.

“We are honored that one of the country’s leading early childhood education institutions is leaning on us to execute their vision for this modern learning facility,” Fortec chairman Pablo Marcelo Barreiro said in a statement. “We are dedicated to creating safe, innovative spaces where future generations can establish the building blocks to guide them for the rest of their lives. The Children’s Courtyard will give hundreds of families in this community more options for their kids’ education and improve the quality of life for everyone it touches.”

Learning Care Group CEO Mark Bierley said his company is thrilled to be partnering with Fortec, noting that it has a deep knowledge of the child care industry.

“We look forward to joining the growing community of Yorkville and providing children and their families with quality early childhood education,” he said. “The Children’s Courtyard in Yorkville will join six other LCG locations across greater Chicago in a unified mission to provide an exceptional educational experience that ensures each child is ready for elementary school.”