HeadStart Child and Family Development Program Renovated K-Mart Hastings, NE
The old HeadStart building was lost to bad weather, the high winds and rains of the midwestern plains. There were several options available for the new location, and plans were even sketched out for building a new HeadStart from the ground up. In the end, the old K-Mart won out, and the reasoning was similar to that of most renovated big box projects: cost efficiency, the pre-built parking lot, and location, location, location. Superstores generally are placed in areas where the roads lead from all over-- especially in rural areas where the original superstore may have served an area of several towns or counties. This K-Mart was no different, and several major roads lead there easily. The purchasing of the building went smoothly, although it took a long time. In this case, there were several parties at work: one party owned the land, the building was owned by another, and K-Mart leased from the building owner. This is often the case with big box buildings, and as the people at the HeadStart shared, the more parties that are involved, the longer it can take to seal the deal. The building was empty for 10 years, and the sale was complete in March of 2001. Renovation took 6-9 months, and the doors were opened for school in September of 2001. |
The building has worked out perfectly. The space has been adequate, and the HeadStart is currently using every square foot. In fact, the adaptation has worked out so well that the HeadStart is already looking at an empty Wal-Mart in a town up the road in the case of future expansion. The HeadStart has been in the renovated K-Mart for 3 years in August 2004. |