By Tim Krohn
NORTH MANKATO — North Mankato plans to give a tax subsidy and low-interest loan to help in the construction and opening of a large new day-care center.
Bernadette Wilson, who has been operating the Beans Plus day care in upper North Mankato for the past three years, said the new day care will meet a growing need for child and infant care services.
Under the plan, she and builder Craig Theuninck will construct and own a building at the corner of Carlson Drive and Rolling Green Lane, near the Masterpiece Studios building in the NorthPort Industrial Center.
Wilson, who will own and operate the day care, will then lease space in the building for the Beans Plus operation.
The North Mankato Port Authority, the economic development arm of the city, on Wednesday gave its preliminary approval for a low-interest $275,000 loan for the day-care operation.
The North Mankato City Council is expected to approve a tax abatement for the building. The abatement means the owners of the building would not have to pay city property taxes for 15 years on the building. The amount of tax savings is estimated at about $75,000 over the 15 years.
The owners would pay the property taxes on the land itself. They also will pay all property taxes for the land and building to the Mankato Area School District and Nicollet County. The Nicollet County Board was asked but declined to provide tax abatement for the building.
The new day care will increase the capacity for Beans Plus by 82 children for a total of 196. Wilson will hire 14 additional employees.
The new facility will accommodate 12, infants, 28 toddlers, 14 transitional toddlers, 40 preschoolers and 70 school-age children.
Wilson said there is a high demand for additional spots for infants. And she said having infants and other children under one roof means parents don’t have to drop kids off at different day-care locations.
The new center also will have a gym and other facilities that will allow it to be used for more summer programs for children.
Financing for the project will come from a $1.1 million loan from Valley Bank, $275,000 from the Port Authority, a likely grant of $25,000 from Region Nine and $100,000 from Wilson.
Wilson has had 15 years of experience in the day-care business. In early 2005, she purchased the day care known as Techni-Kids operating out of South Central College and operates it under the corporate name Beans Plus. She also operates one under the same name in Hutchinson. The center in SCC will have to move out next summer because the college needs the space for more classrooms.
Wilson is also opening a smaller day care next month in leased property on Commerce Drive, across from Ray’s Market. She will continue to use that spot for 32 children once the new facility is open, but it will not serve hot lunches (bag lunches will be provided by parents). That, she said, will provide a lower-cost day-care alternative.
