Childcare provider adds nearly 10,000 square feet of space, donates equipment to City of Refuge
Best-in-class educational childcare provider Primrose School of Midtown announced today that it has renewed its lease at Colony Square and is expanding operations. In August, Primrose School of Midtown will move from a 13,000-square-foot space to a 22,960-square-foot space, opening just in time for the new school year to begin this fall.
“Our central location at Colony Square is highly accessible for our families that live in surrounding intown neighborhoods, including Candler Park, Inman Park, Virginia Highland, Midtown and more,” said Keri Stoltz, owner of Primrose School of Midtown. “In addition to the convenience for parents, being in the heart of the city has become a huge recruitment tool for attracting and retaining the best educators for our students. We are excited to be a part of the reimagined Colony Square and look forward to welcoming our students to the new space.”
Primrose is currently located on the second level of the former Colony Square mall. Its new location will open on the main level near Hanover House. The new Primrose space will include one additional classroom which will allow for 24 more students. Owners are also adding a conference room, multipurpose room, a playground and a library nook. North American Properties (NAP), the developer leading the redevelopment of Colony Square, plans to modify the former Primrose space to make way for improvements, including the addition of first-to-market iPic Theaters.
“We are seeing tremendous demand for office space at Colony Square as companies are increasingly seeking to work in vibrant, activated mixed-use communities,” said Liz Gillespie, partner and vice president of marketing for North American Properties. “We look forward to seeing how Primrose School of Midtown will enliven its new space at the reimagined Colony Square.”
A recent revamp in Primrose School of Midtown’s curriculum has also provided the opportunity to update classroom features, including new learning materials, toys, furniture and books. Primrose School of Midtown has elected to donate all of its former classroom items to Atlanta-based nonprofit City of Refuge, a long-time partner of NAP.
The donation will include 10 preschool tables and 100 chairs, 10 toddler tables and 36 chairs, 15 bookshelves, 30 rugs, and 10 classrooms worth of toys, puzzles and equipment, plus, the school’s former playground set. City of Refuge, a 21-year-old organization in Vine City, recently opened a new branch in Thomaston, Georgia and all of the items from Primrose School of Midtown will be used in the operation of a local community program.
“We recently launched after school and summer day camp programs at the Thomaston location, and these donated items will help us to create an exceptional experience for our students,” said Jeff Deel, COO of programming at City of Refuge. “Our team is grateful for organizations like Primrose School of Midtown and North American Properties, who continue to help us transform the communities we serve through their donations of time, talent and treasure.”
Cushman & Wakefield Director Boris Garbuz executed the lease on behalf of Primrose School of Midtown.
NAP broke ground on the redevelopment of the 50-year-old mixed-use community in October 2017. Upon completion in 2020, Colony Square will encompass 912,000 square feet of Class A office space, condos, a 466-room hotel, 160,000 square feet of curated entertainment, dining, retail and fitness concepts, plus, a food hall known as Main & Main.
To learn more about happenings at Colony Square, follow the Midtown destination onTwitter, Facebookand Instagram. For more information, visit colonysquaremidtown.com.
About Colony Square
At the corner of Peachtree and 14th Streets, Colony Square is not only the heart of Midtown, it’s the heart of Atlanta – an original icon at the very center of the ever-rising capital of the modern South. Today, Colony Square is becoming an icon of another kind, bringing the Art of Modern Life to Midtown. Featuring 912,000 square feet of office space, 160,000 square feet of retail space, a 466-room hotel and 262 luxury residences, the reimagined Colony Square will be known as a foodie haven; shopping destination; sophisticated business hub; events destination; and an amenity-rich, arts-infused place to gather with community and soak up Midtown’s vibe. Open, walkable and transit-friendly, the reimagined Colony Square, like all great city squares, will be seamlessly connected to the vibrant energy of the streets around it.
About North American Properties
Founded in 1954, North American Properties is a privately held, multi-regional real estate operating and development company that has acquired, developed and managed more than $7 billion of mixed-use, retail, multifamily and office properties across the United States. Rooted in its purpose-driven approach to development, North American Properties is creating great places that connect people to each other; cities to their souls; partners to opportunities; and individuals to experiences that move them. Headquartered in Cincinnati, with offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Fort Myers, Florida, the company has developed 22 million square feet of commercial space and 19,000 residential units in 15 states and 67 cities. In the past three years, North American Properties has launched 36 projects totaling $2.2 billion in total capitalization. In metro Atlanta, North American Properties led the turnaround of Atlantic Station and the ground up development of Avalon. Currently, the team’s $3.8 billion retail-driven mixed-use development pipeline includes: Colony Square in Midtown Atlanta, Revel in Gwinnett County, Georgia and Riverton in the New York metro area.
About Primrose Schools®
Primrose Schools is the leader in providing premier early education and care to children and families in the United States. Founded in 1982, there are nearly 350 Primrose schools in 29 states today. Each school is independently-owned and -operated by Franchise Owners who partner with parents to help children build the right foundation for future learning and life. Primrose believes who children become is as important as what they know. The Primrose-exclusive Balanced Learning® approach is created from the best early education wisdom and balances purposeful play with nurturing guidance from teachers to encourage curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion. For more information, visitwww.PrimroseSchools.com, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, explore our blog, sign up for our Pointers for Parents emails and find a Primrose school near you.
About City of Refuge
City of Refuge was founded in 1997 with the mission to transform the lives of individuals and communities in Atlanta and beyond. Today the organization resides in a warehouse that was graciously donated in the 30314 neighborhood, one of the poorest and most crime-ridden areas in the nation. Since inhabiting the “Where Good Works” center, City of Refuge has helped over 20,000 people across the country and internationally. The organization has created several programs designed to provide an impact in areas such as: housing, youth development, health & wellness, and vocation. City of Refuge is a leader in the business of social transformation and continuously works to empower and equip individuals with the tools to succeed.
