WICKER PARK — North Avenue Day Nursery — a nonprofit day care center that has been serving families since 1908 — has sold its building and will be closing on Dec. 23, leaders say.
"NADN [North Avenue Day Nursery] will close for the winter break and not reopen for services," according to a letter dated Nov. 4 and distributed to parents.
The closing of the center at 1530 N. Damen Ave. will affect 80 children from 70 families, according to Virgen Velez, a child care worker who was at the center early Monday morning.
"[Parents] are sad and are used to this place. These are families that have come back over the years," Velez said.
Velez is one of 21 staff members who will be laid off as a result of the closure. All staffers will receive severance pay, she said.
Velez said that the building has been sold but declined to share more details.
The building went up for sale in July and was pitched in a brochure as a redevelopment opportunity.
Jon Morgan, a co-founder and managing principal at Interra Realty, was handling the bids. Morgan did not immediately respond to requests for comment early Monday.
The day care originally was part of Association House on North Avenue, a nonprofit group that relocated to Humboldt Park 1999 when its century-old headquarters was turned into condos.
North Ave Day Nursery bought the building at 1530-32 Damen Ave. for $225,000 in 1988, according to county records. Illinois Bell telephone company had an office in the spot before it was a day care center.
The center, which serves children ages 2 to 12, is directing families who qualify for affordable day care services to Erie Neighborhood House, 1701 W. Superior St.
Representatives from Erie will be at North Avenue Day Nursery this week to meet with parents, Velez said, adding that the Northwestern Settlement House at 1400 W. Augusta Blvd. is another option for parents seeking affordable day care.
The schools leaders cited changing demographics in the community and state budget cuts to affordable child care programs as reasons for the closure. The school has been operating at "six-figure deficits for the past several years," officials said in the letter sent to parents.
A Wicker Park parent, Kenny Zuckerberg, had been sending his younger daughter to the day care since May 2015.
"Our initial reason for selecting it was convenience of being across the street from the Blue Line stop we use for work commute. But we were looking at other options too, until we took a tour and saw the love and support these teachers showed. It made the decision easy," Zuckerberg said.
Zuckerberg said that the day care will be missed.
"This place does terrific work for people who really need them. The staff are the kind of people who will come in as early as needed and stay well past normal hours to help parents in need," he said.
Zuckerberg said most of the people who use the facility cannot afford private preschools, and rely on the day care so they can go to school or work.
"I hope all of the parents find equivalent child care, but just as importantly, I hope the wonderful teachers find a new place to make the same big differences in people's lives," Zuckerberg said.
Read the letter, below.
Letter sent to North Avenue Day Nursery Parents on Friday. [Provided]
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