Florence child care slots to increase 50% with Elm Park Early Learning Center
Child care access in Florence and the Siuslaw region of West Lane County will increase 50% next year with the completion of the Elm Park Early Learning Center. Developer Chestnut Management has received commitments for 87% of the cost of the center, which is designed to serve up to 16 infants, 20 toddlers and 40 pre-K children, increasing the area’s child care slots from about 150 to 230.
The 5,000-square-foot center will have four 862-square-foot classrooms with attached child and adult restrooms, a kitchen, administrative and storage space, and a 2,250-square-foot outdoor play area. Head Start of Lane County (HSOLC) will provide Head Start programming in two classrooms, and community providers will operate two classrooms.
“Hopefully, the center will be the beginning of the end of our child care desert,” said Layne Morrill, the manager of Chestnut Management, LLC, who is developing the center in cooperation with HSOLC and the City of Florence.
The center will be at 1025 Greenwood St., on a 0.37-acre site, part of the mixed-use Elm Park Planned Unit Development that the City of Florence Planning Commission approved in April. Construction is planned to start in November 2025 and be completed in August 2026. Elm Park Apartments, the residential component of Elm Park PUD, will include 32 affordable rental apartments (mostly two- and three-bedroom) serving families with incomes between 30% and 60% of the area median income. Construction of the apartments began on June 13.
The Florence City Council has identified housing and child care as significant opportunities for collaboration and economic development efforts in the City of Florence. Mayor Rob Ward said, “You can’t talk about finding solutions for one without the other. The Elm Park Early Learning Center and the Elm Park Apartments will help our community move the needle in filling the child care and housing needs gap in Florence.” The mayor and council “are excited to see these partnerships between existing and new organizations in Florence develop and can’t wait for this new project to help move our community forward.”
“Elm Park is not just a school or an apartment building – it’s a place where families can come together, support each other, and build a stronger community,” said Holly Mar-Conte, Lane County child care sector strategist.
In a statement, Charleen Strauch, executive director, said that HSOLC “is thrilled to be a part of this collaborative journey as a key partner in the co-location project providing preschool/day care and affordable housing in Florence. We are deeply honored to contribute to such a vital initiative that addresses the holistic needs of families in the Florence community.”
The center’s total cost will be approximately $4.1 million. BuildUp Oregon (BUO) has committed $1.43 million in grant and loan funding for the center. BUO is co-sponsored by the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department and the Department of Early Learning and Care to encourage the co-location of child care with affordable housing. Business Oregon has provided a $2 million grant from its Child Care Infrastructure Fund. The City of Florence has agreed to reduce the purchase price on the site by $53,250 once the center is operational. John Singleton of Pivot Architecture is the project architect. The general contractor will be selected through competitive bidding.
Community support is needed to raise an additional $300,000 to help complete the center’s funding. PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center has contributed $25,000 and has pledged additional funds to the project. Onward Eugene has donated $7,500 and its child care sector strategist, Holly Mar-Conte, has provided valuable advice and assistance. The center needs to raise another $205,000 from large businesses and $70,000 from individuals and small businesses. With that community support, the center will qualify for an additional $250,000 in grants from private foundations. Tax-deductible donations for the center’s construction can be made to Our Coastal Village, Inc.
“PeaceHealth knows that its health care workforce and patient care depend on having access to reliable child care in our community,” Morrill said. The need for high-quality child care continues to be identified as a need in PeaceHealth’s community health assessments. “Healthy habits start early,” said Jason Hawkins, chief administrative officer at PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center. “Programs like Elm Park can set children up for a lifetime of wellness by introducing these practices at a young age.”
Siuslaw Childcare Friends (SCF) is a 501(c)(3) organization formed in January 2025 to promote and enhance child care and early learning opportunities in the Siuslaw region. Sandy Craft, a Siuslaw Vision Team member, is SCF’s president; Tia Leonard-Durant is treasurer, and Camille Griswold is secretary. Other board members include Kim Erickson, Connie Ford, Adrian Pollut, and Chelsie Reeves. Siuslaw Vision and the Siuslaw Child Care Working Team have provided start-up support for SCF and continue to work closely to support the center. SCF will be the steward of the two community provider classrooms and will engage and assist the community providers who serve those classrooms. SCF will begin community outreach efforts shortly to raise awareness of its role in supporting local child care and the actions it will take.
Sandy Craft, SCF’s president, became a Florence resident in 2021. As an early childhood advocate/specialist, she “quickly noticed the lack of quality child care and early learning options for families in the area.” Craft said the center “will positively impact this need for families of all income levels, children who are typically developing, children with special needs, and the workforce of the Florence community.”
Elm Park Apartments, the residential portion of the Elm Park PUD, will consist of 32 residential units on a 1.10-acre site. Our Coastal Village, Inc. (OCV), a nonprofit affordable housing developer, is developing Elm Park Apartments. Units will be available to households earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income. OCV completed its 24-unit Oak Manor Apartments project at 3944 Oak St. in 2024.
Morrill called co-locating the center with affordable housing “a huge challenge on many levels.” He “thankfully acknowledges amazing contributions” by the design professionals, public and private financial partners, the Florence Community Development Department, the Planning Commission, and the City Council in bringing these projects to fruition.
The total cost of the apartments is $15 million. Oregon Housing and Community Services has provided an $11.83 million 30-year, zero-interest LIFT loan. Banner Bank has provided a $2 million construction loan and a $1.85 million 35-year, low-interest permanent loan through the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit program. OCV has committed $1.25 million of its resources to the project. The City of Florence will reduce the site purchase price by $199,500 once the apartments are in service. Construction of the apartments is planned to begin on June 16 and be completed in July 2026. BDA Architecture and Planning, Mike Magee and Leanne Love, are project architects. Meili Construction Company is the general contractor.
The City of Florence is constructing streets and utilities in the Northwest Ninth Street neighborhood for future residential development, including Elm Park PUD, using a $1.9 million state legislative appropriation from early 2024.
For more information about the Elm Park Early Learning Center or Elm Park Apartments, contact Layne Morrill at 602-432-6291 or klaynemorrill@gmail.com.
For more information about child care in the Siuslaw region, contact Siuslaw Vision at childcare@siuslawvision.org or 425-985-4019.
Submitted by Chestnut Management, LLC; Head Start of Lane County; Siuslaw Childcare Friends; Our Coastal Village, Inc.
The story above was submitted by a community member or organization through Siuslaw Vision’s Submit a Press Release feature. Please verify information with the organization that submitted it – Siuslaw Vision does not confirm or endorse the submitted information.