$5M Child Care Center Opens In Former Ambulance Warehouse

VERNON HILLS, IL — A former ambulance warehouse in Vernon Hills has been transformed into a child care and early education center following a roughly $5 million investment.

The Nest Schools-Vernon Hills has opened at 401 W. Sullivan Drive and welcomed its first students, according to Fortec, the development and investment firm behind the project. The new school has capacity for up to 209 children and is expected to create 35 jobs in Vernon Hills, according to a news release.

Fortec purchased the property for $1.7 million in September 2025 before investing about $3 million in construction and another $300,000 in closing and due diligence costs, according to the company.

The redevelopment included a complete reconfiguration of the building for child care use, according to the news release.

The facility now has 11 classrooms organized by age group and an 11,834-square-foot outdoor playground. The project also included new heating and cooling, electrical and irrigation systems, water-efficient plumbing and underground drainage improvements.

New fire alarm and sprinkler systems and upgraded access-control security were also installed as part of the redevelopment.

The Vernon Hills project marks Fortec's fourth collaboration with The Nest Schools, an early childhood education provider with more than 50 locations nationwide.

"High-quality early education is essential infrastructure, and in communities like Vernon Hills, demand continues to outpace supply," Fortec Chairman Pablo Barreiro said in a statement.

Barreiro said the company's strategy includes converting underused properties into educational facilities in communities where additional child care capacity is needed. The company said more than 7,100 children younger than 9 years old live within three miles of the Vernon Hills school.

The new school is also part of The Nest Schools' expansion in Illinois.

"This is our latest step in growing our presence across Illinois," The Nest Schools CEO Jessica Van Hoose said in a statement.

The Vernon Hills school is currently enrolling students.