At last night City Council meeting, the City Council approved authorizing staff to enter into negotiations with the University of Maryland (UMD) on their child care proposal for Calvert Road School.
The University of Maryland (UMD) wants to open up a facility to provide day care for their employees. They plan to contract with an experienced day care provider to operate the facility. UMD is currently looking at Bright Horizons as the day care operator. The City owns the Calvert Rd school property and it is one of the locations that UMD is looking at as a potential location for the day care operation.
UMD has made an offer to the City for use of the property. As proposed, the day care would serve 120 children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. There will be a per child fee charged to attend the day care. Under Option 1- Ground Lease- UMD funds improvements, UMD leases the Calvert Road property from the City for a 40- year term- at no cost, the City provides trash removal and grounds maintenance at no charge (estimated cost of $20,000 annually), meeting space would be available for the community in the renovated school building on weekends. Enrollment -City residents who work at UMD would be guaranteed seats, there would 8 seats guaranteed for City residents who do not work at UMD, UMD faculty and staff who do not reside in the City would have priority for the remaining seats. If there are remaining seats they could go to anyone who does not fall into the listed categories
Option 2- Partnership Lease – CP and UMD would share cost of improvements- 25% City 75% UMD. Estimated City outlay providing the land and a capitol outlay of $1.1 million. Under this option the City would provide trash removal and grounds maintenance at no charge (estimated cost $20,000 annually) and meeting space would be available for the community in the renovated school building on weekends. Enrollment- City residents who work at UMD would be guaranteed seats, City residents who do not work at UMD- 30 seats, UMD faculty and staff who do not reside in the City -90 seats. If there are remaining seats they could go to anyone who does not fall into the listed categories.
If either proposal is approved, it would require demolishing most of the buildings currently in place and restoration of a portion of the old schoolhouse. Cost of renovations as estimated by UMD is 5.6 million. They also estimated a $950,000 start-up operating budget.
Council and staff, and perhaps others, will now develop a negotiation strategy and discuss and consider the options offered by UMD and perhaps alternative options.
If negotiation succeeds, the Council will vote on final agreements in a future open Session.