RothbergDubrow is proud to announce the leasing of 13,000 square feet to Aspen Grove Daycare at the former First African Baptist Church on 1600 Christian St. RothbergDubrow represented The Aspen Grove School in their search for a space that would fulfill their specific requirements and secured this off-market opportunity on behalf of the client.
The Aspen Grove School is a hands-on learning community for children ages 6 weeks – 5 years. The school places a high priority on teaching important ideas in a “playful” way as well as making sure children place a value on learning and community. As founders and local parents Sharon Jayakumar and Micah Straight outlined their plans, it became clear that a creative vision like this would require a creative space to make it a reality. With that, RothbergDubrow kept an open mind to all possibilities and came upon the unlisted historic First African Baptist Church. While a church may seem an odd place to host a daycare, the natural light and open spaces, large floor plan and multiple stories, and some beautiful renovations to cap it all off made the building an ideal fit! Thanks to the unique layout, Aspen Grove is able to accommodate two large indoor gross motor areas as well as many individual classrooms.
Tours and open houses start this summer and enrollment will begin shortly. Click here to visit their site.
The repurposing of a church to use as a daycare is just one of many examples of the City of Philadelphia’s dedication to adapt unusual spaces to new and interesting ideas. The Christ Reformed Church in Spring Garden has since become the Chapel Lofts, an apartment/condo living space. The Falls Methodist Episcopal Church in East Falls is now home to freelancers and small businesses alike, as well as a vegan bakery. And in one of the more interesting repurposing arrangements, the Rothschild Memorial Synagogue is currently the Older Adult Sunshine Center, an older adult community center in Cobbs Creek. Needless to say, Philadelphia has made itself a name for embracing the creative in the purpose of bringing the very best to the community.
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Apart from being a match space-wise, Aspen Grove will also precisely satisfy a need in the surrounding community. 1600 Christian Street is located a few blocks from South Street, and is in the heart of Graduate Hospital, one of the most popular neighborhoods for millennials in an already millennial-dense Philadelphia. However, that number has remained level in recent years, as people have moved past the millennial age bracket and into the “settling down” stage of life. This translates into a strong demand for quality childcare, one that Aspen Grove is sure to fill.
