DEPARTMENT: Pre-K 4 SA
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Kathy Bruck, CEO
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Lease Agreement
SUMMARY:
This item considers a five-year lease agreement between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Early Childhood Education Municipal Development Corporation (Pre-K 4 SA Board) beginning upon City Council approval and ending June 30, 2021 at no annual amount to be paid to the City of San Antonio for a 4.476 acre parcel of land located at 1243 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway (State Highway 151) to be utilized for additional playground area and staff parking for the Pre-K 4 SA West Education Center.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Pre-K 4 SA West Education Center opened in August 2014 to provide a full day high quality Pre-K program to the San Antonio community. The West Education Center currently has 21,000 square feet of outdoor playground area making it the center with the lease amount of outdoor playground area; in comparison, the South Education Center has 24,000 square feet of outdoor playground area, the East Education Center has 45,000 square feet of outdoor playground area and the North Education Center has 24,000 square feet of outdoor playground area.
The West Education Center, which houses three training rooms, is a popular training facility location since various entities including City departments, Pre-K 4 SA, surrounding independent school districts, and community organizations regularly hold training events and seminars at West Education Center training rooms. However, as a result of being a popular training facility, the West Education Center parking lot has become insufficient to accommodate parent, staff, and visitor parking on days in which training events are held.
Pre-K staff met with the City’s Transportation and Capital Improvements Department to potentially lease the City’s 4.476 acre former right-of way (ROW) property located at 1243 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway (State Highway 151) adjacent to the West Education Center for an additional outdoor playground and parking area. The property is currently not being utilized by the City and is eligible to be leased to Pre-K 4 SA.
ISSUE:
This item considers a lease agreement ending June 30, 2021 between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Early Childhood Education Municipal Development Corporation at no annual rent to be paid to the City of San Antonio for a 4.476 acre parcel of land, approximately 194,000 square feet, located at 1243 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway (State Highway 151) to be utilized for additional playground area and staff parking for the West Education Center.
The West Education Center currently has approximately 3,000 fewer square feet of outdoor playground area than the identically designed South Education Center. Licensing Requirements require 80 square feet of outdoor activity space for each child using the outdoor activity area. While changing and shortening the daily outdoor activity timeframe remains within Licensing Requirements, it brings the West Education Center out of compliance with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) best standards and practices of curriculum-based physical, social and emotional development, as a result of the earlier and shortened timeframe, thereby reducing the quality of daily outdoor learning activities according to NAEYC standards and practices.
In an effort for the West Education Center to remain in compliance with both Licensing Requirements and NAEYC best standards and practices, Pre-K 4 SA staff met with the City’s Transportation and Capital Improvement Department and Real Estate Division to obtain a lease for the former ROW property located at 1243 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway (State Highway 151) adjacent to the West Education Center. Staff plans to demolish the current on-site building structure and utilize the land for additional outdoor playground area. Staff also plans to potentially construct an additional parking area to be used for staff parking.
On April 5, 2016 the San Antonio Early Childhood Education Municipal Development Corporation Board of Directors considered the lease agreement.
ALTERNATIVES:
City Council can decided to not approve the lease agreement and request Pre-K 4 SA to find a solution through an alternative means of acquiring additional land; however, all alternative available land options by the West Education Center would require Pre-K 4 SA to spend at least $102,000.00 to purchase an amount of land that would be substantially smaller in acreage.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact to Pre-K 4 SA to enter into this lease. The lease agreement between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Early Childhood Education Municipal Development Corporation will be at no charge paid to the City of San Antonio.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of a lease agreement between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Early Childhood Education Municipal Development Corporation ending June 30, 2021 at no annual rent to be paid to the City of San Antonio for a 4.476 acre parcel of land located at 1243 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway (State Highway 151) to be utilized for additional playground area and staff parking for the Pre-K 4 SA West Education Center.