CHESTNUT MANAGEMENT, LLC
HEAD START OF LANE COUNTY
SIUSLAW CHILDCARE FRIENDS
OUR COASTAL VILLAGE, INC.
June 16, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Florence childcare slots will increase by 50% with Elm Park Early Learning Center.
FLORENCE, Ore. – Stakeholders announced today that funding commitments have been received for 87% of the cost of the Elm Park Early Learning Center. The Center is designed to serve up to 16 infants, 20 toddlers, and 40 pre-K children, increasing the area’s childcare slots from 152 to 228.
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 childcare 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 starts in November 2025 and will be completed in August 2026. Elm Park Apartments, the residential component of Elm Park PUD, will be 32 affordable rental apartments (mostly 2- and 3-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 childcare as significant opportunities for collaboration and economic development efforts in the City of Florence. Mayor Rob Ward observed, “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 childcare 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,” comments Holly Mar-Conte, Lane County Childcare Sector Strategist.
In a statement, Charleen Strauch, Executive Director, stated that HSOLC “is thrilled to be a part of this collaborative journey as a key partner in the co-location project providing preschool/daycare and affordable housing needs 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 childcare with affordable housing. Business Oregon has provided a $2 million grant from its Childcare 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 childcare 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.
Jason Hawkins, chief administrative officer of PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center, knows that its “health care workforce and patient care depend on having access to reliable childcare in our community, and it continues to be identified as a need in our community health assessments.” Hawkins concluded, “We know that high-quality childcare contributes to a healthy community.”
Siuslaw Childcare Friends (SCF) is a 501(c)(3) organization formed in January 2025 to promote and enhance childcare 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 Childcare 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 childcare 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 childcare and early learning options for families in the area.” Craft says 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.
Layne Morrill, the president of OCV, calls 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 a $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 will 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 Center or Elm Park Apartments, contact Layne Morrill at 602-432-6291 or klaynemorrill@gmail.com.
