Now, we wait.
After the USD 253 Emporia Board of Education approved a tentative plan to sell the former Maynard Early Childhood Center at 19 Constitution to the Emporia Area Chamber Foundation late last month, Chamber President and CEO Jeanine McKenna says all supporting grant applications have now been submitted. On KVOE’s Morning Show on Tuesday, McKenna says this will fill a notable niche in the city’s childcare needs, which were aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
McKenna says the capacity could vary, depending on the children using the facility.
The sale is contingent on the Chamber Foundation securing between $3.6 million and $4 million for the purchase and related renovations. Grants could possibly come through Child Care Aware, the Kansas Department for Children and Families and the All In For Kansas Kids program through the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund. Decisions on all three grants may be finalized by mid-July.
The district had initially reached an agreement with Simmons Pet Food to buy the building at an estimated $200,000 for a round-the-clock daycare facility last year. Simmons eventually withdrew its purchase bid. Coldwell Banker Emporia Real Estate, the district’s realtor, has permission to keep the property at 19 Constitution on the market if grant funding is either not fully obtained or not secured at all.
The district replaced Maynard with the Jones Early Childhood Center. Jones began operations this past fall.
