An early childhood program at Terrace Elementary School might be headed for a redeveloped section of downtown Des Plaines.
Elementary District 62 Supt. Robert Willis has been eyeing the downtown area as a potential site for the program for nearly a year, but he needed approval from the school board to begin formal negotiations. The board voted 6-1 Monday night to authorize formal talks with the City of Des Plaines.
Under a preliminary plan, the district would lease space in a planned retail complex on Ellinwood Street, across from the Metra commuter rail station.
Renovating the space for classroom use could run as high as $200,000–a tab that would be covered by tax dollars generated by a downtown tax increment finance district.
District 62 would be much like a private tenant of developer LR Development Co., using tuition to pay rent and general operating expenses.
At the earliest, District 62 would relocate its program in the fall or winter of 1999.
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