The Learning Experience, based in Boca Raton, intends to have up to seven child-education centers operating by the end of 2013 in Northeast Florida for children from infancy through kindergarten.
The company operates one center along Southside Boulevard and has filed plans for two more. It has another two in "pre-development" and intends to open at least three in addition to those.
The seven are:
• A center operating at 8411 Southside Blvd.
• A building permit is under review for a 10,000-square-foot The Learning Experience at 11945 San Jose Blvd., No. 500. Plans for the $1.2 million center in Cormorant Park show it can accommodate 173 children, 18 teachers and two office staff members. The playground is 5,000 square feet. SE Construction Services LLC is the contractor and the design firm is Lima Architecture LLC of Boca Raton. Plans show care for infants, starting at 6 weeks up to kindergarten age. Richard Kerper of Clearwater is shown as the owner.
• Plans filed with the St. Johns River Water Management District show a proposed 10,000-square-foot center along Oakleaf Village Parkway. OLV2H LLC, whose managing member is Colonial Capital LLC, is the project applicant and Michael Antonopoulos LLC is listed as the land development consultant. Colonial Capital's managers are John Foshee and Jan M. Jones III. Plans show the building along with a 5,000-square-foot playground. The development is part of The Village Center Phase 2.
• The Learning Experience website, thelearningexperience.com, shows another center is "coming soon" along Old St. Augustine Road.
• Learning Experience representatives say another is in pre-development in River City Marketplace in North Jacksonville.
• Representatives say one is planned along the Beach Boulevard area toward the Beaches.
• They say another is planned along the County Road 210 corridor in St. Johns County.
• And "there has to be one more somewhere," said Kerper, who is working with The Learning Experience.
"There's a growing need for formal child care. Statistics show roughly 10 million families out there do not have formal child care," said Scott Breault, assistant vice president of marketing and branding with The Learning Experience.
"There is a huge need for child care and early education and that has fueled our rapid expansion," Breault said.
"We are not baby sitters. We believe in the value of educating children ages 6 weeks to kindergarten age," he said.
Breault said almost 90 percent of the centers' "preschool graduates" are reading by the time they enter kindergarten.
Kerper said the company targets areas that have, within five miles, average incomes of at least $75,000 and at least 7,500 children under the age of 6.
According to the website, the first Learning Experience center was opened in 1980 in Boca Raton by founder and Chairman Michael Weissman and founder and executive vice president of marketing Linda Weissman. Richard Weissman joined as president in 1986.
The site says the Weissman family decided to develop the first branded child care franchise in the United States and the franchise was sold in 1999.
The site says that in December 2001, the Weissmans saw a need in the early academic sector and re-formed The Learning Experience.
The Learning Experience has expanded to more than 200 locations opened or under construction in Florida, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, Ohio, Colorado and Virginia.
The Learning Experience says it currently is the fastest growing child care franchisor in the United States.
Breault said The Learning Experience has 112 centers opened, including 16 in Florida.
The company is majority owned and operated by the Weissman family and sells franchises.
EWC to build JSO substation, classrooms
The City approved a permit Wednesday for Elkins Constructors Inc. to build a two-story, 10,430-square-foot Jacksonville Sheriff's Office substation and classroom building on the college's campus at 1767 Kings Road at a project cost of $2.1 million.
C. Blake Hacht, Edward Waters College director of external relations, said the total project cost is $2.635 million and information would be released in the coming weeks.
Hacht said construction should be completed in late October.
Sweetwater Senior Center in the works
Site development plans are in review for the 185-unit Sweetwater Senior Living center on 8.33 acres along Sweetwater Parkway next to the existing Sweetwater condominiums.
The owner is MV Residential Development LLC of Cincinnati, Ohio. The applicant is England-Thims & Miller Inc.
Plans show a four-story building.
James E. Craig Memorial planned
The James E. Craig Memorial is under review at the City for a site at Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport at 855 St. Johns Bluff Road N.
The memorial pavilion is planned at an existing pavilion. The engineer is Reynolds, Smith and Hills Inc.
An October bid invitation described the project as removal of an existing pavilion and the construction of a new steel and wood pavilion on a concrete slab of about 484 square feet.
According to the Department of the Navy Naval Historical Center, James Edwin Craig was born Oct. 29, 1901, in Jacksonville and appointed to the Naval Academy on July 3, 1918.
"After graduation in 1922, he saw almost continuous sea duty until early 1929, when he received aviation training at the Pensacola Naval Air Station," it said.
Craig attained the rank of lieutenant commander in 1937 and commanded Torpedo Squadron 5 in 1938.
In March 1939 he assumed command of the USS Conyngham. Two years later he became damage control officer and first lieutenant aboard USS Pennsylvania.
Lt. Cmdr. Craig was killed in action Dec. 7, 1941, during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
In November 2010, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority said it would rename three of its airports as part of a marketing campaign to bring more business to the city's four airports.
Craig Airport was renamed the Jacksonville Executive Airport. The authority said it was looking for opportunities to put Craig's name on other venues at the airport.
Signs for Chase, Optum
The city approved four wall signs for Chase bank at 6010 San Jose Blvd. NW Sign Industries of Florida is the contractor for the $15,016 project. The permits show two signs of Chase with its octagon logo, one of the logo and one of Chase with the octagon logo and "private client."
Also, the City OK'd a sign for Optum in Flagler Center at 7159 Corklan Drive. Taylor Sign & Design Inc. is the contractor for the $1,681 project.
As the Daily Record reported in January, OptumRx intends to open its Jacksonville pharmacy benefits customer service center by July in Flagler Center and start with 150 employees.
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