Bennett Day School, the West Loop’s newest two-year old to eighth grade progressive school, signed a long-term lease for its flagship campus at 955 W. Grand Avenue.
Bennett Day School’s new campus returns the historic Grand Avenue location back to one of its original uses as a progressive school. The building, formerly known as Chicago Commons and designed by Pond and Pond, was built in 1900 as a settlement house modeled after Hull House.
Bennett Day School’s current campus, located nearby at 657 W. Fulton Street, is enrolling two- through five-year olds with classes starting on August 25, 2014. The new space on Grand Avenue will allow expansion for the school through eighth grade.
Bennett Day School’s flagship campus is set to open by the fall of 2016. The campus, which will start with Junior Kindergarten and go through eighth grade, will contain an interactive community gathering space — a piazza — modeled after schools found in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Additionally, the 955 W. Grand building will have a full-size gym, multiple TinkerLabs, and over 10,000 square feet of green space.
Architecture firm Filorama Talsma is overseeing the building exterior under the direction of Chris Talsma. Architecture firm BLDD is designing the interior of the Grand Avenue campus and is led by Timothy McGrath.
Patrick Vizzone of Colliers International advised Bennett Day School in lease negotiations and Justin Collins of Jameson Commercial Real Estate advised Property Adventures.
