Tutor Time in Ronkonkoma to close; parents say they are scrambling
Tutor Time at 246 Carroll Ave. in Ronkonkoma is abruptly closing, parents say. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
A Ronkonkoma day care center is set to close by the end of the month to make room for part of the $1.2 billion Station Yards multiuse project, sending parents scrambling for a new child care provider.
Tutor Time has a June 30 deadline to leave the 10,000-square-foot Carroll Avenue building, which is to be sold later this year to Station Yards developer Tritec Real Estate, according to Tritec and the building's owner. Parents told Newsday they learned from Tutor Time staff last week the day care would close May 30.
A person at the Ronkonkoma school referred questions Monday to Tutor Time's corporate parent, Learning Care Group of Novi, Michigan. Calls to the company were not answered or returned on Monday.
Christina Wood, whose 4-year-old daughter attends the school, said staff told her Thursday the facility would close. Now, she's scrambling to find a new day care before the month ends.
"I own a ... company and we are entering our busiest season," she said Friday in a telephone interview. "I need my kids to have child care. It's been extremely stressful [and] frantic, especially because they can't even finish out the school year."
Tritec is in contract to buy the building this summer from Tutor Time's landlord, Tutor Station Plaza LLC, Tritec director of marketing Chris Kelly said Friday in a phone interview. Tutor Time is the property's only tenant, he said.
Tutor Station Plaza owner Len Axinn, of Greenlawn, said he had given Tutor Time a June 30 deadline to leave the building.
“We have nothing to do with [Tutor Time's] correspondence and the communication with the students” and their parents, Axinn said in a telephone interview Monday.
He said he felt forced to sell the building because it could be seized by Brookhaven Town via eminent domain.
Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency chief executive Lisa M.G. Mulligan said the town had not taken steps to condemn the property.
Kelly said the property will be part of Phase 1B of the multiphase Station Yards development. He added Phase 1B, including a mix of retail, residential and commercial uses, is awaiting Brookhaven Town approvals.
Kelly said Tritec had no role in closing Tutor Time, adding, "the lease is between two parties that aren't us."
"That's [the current landlord's] purview," he said Friday in a phone interview. "The relationship between Tutor Time and the owner is not something we've been involved in. ... We would put a day care into Station Yards — whether it's Tutor Time or someone else — later on."
When completed, Station Yards could include up to 1,450 apartments, 195,000 square feet of retail and 360,000 square feet of office space, Newsday has previously reported. Tritec officials have said they don't know when the entire project will be completed.
Kelly added the building occupied by Tutor Time has been included in redevelopment plans since the project was approved by Brookhaven Town more than a decade ago.
Brookhaven Councilman Neil Foley, who represents Ronkonkoma on the town board, said Tutor Station Plaza had been in discussions with Tritec to sell the building for about two years.
He said parents of children at Tutor Time "are angry they had only a 30-day window" before the day care closes.
"The town has nothing to do with this at all," Foley said by telephone on Friday. "There's a contract for Tritec to purchase this property."
Kerry Cohen, who has two children enrolled at the day care, said she felt blindsided by the short notice given to parents.
"Letting the staff, directors and our families only know 30 days before a move-out? It's just not right," she said.
Cohen said Tutor Time faculty were trying to relocate children to other facilities. Her children were promised a place at the Holbrook location.
Wood also praised the Ronkonkoma faculty, but she has yet to find a new day care. Her preferred Tutor Time facility in Oakdale is "at full capacity," she said.
"If nothing pans out for me specifically ... I'm going to frantically try to find any other open summer camps and/or have to rely on family members who are not often available," she said. "I'm not actually sure" what we'll do, she added.
A Ronkonkoma day care center is set to close by the end of the month to make room for part of the $1.2 billion Station Yards multiuse project, sending parents scrambling for a new child care provider.
Tutor Time has a June 30 deadline to leave the 10,000-square-foot Carroll Avenue building, which is to be sold later this year to Station Yards developer Tritec Real Estate, according to Tritec and the building's owner. Parents told Newsday they learned from Tutor Time staff last week the day care would close May 30.
A person at the Ronkonkoma school referred questions Monday to Tutor Time's corporate parent, Learning Care Group of Novi, Michigan. Calls to the company were not answered or returned on Monday.
Christina Wood, whose 4-year-old daughter attends the school, said staff told her Thursday the facility would close. Now, she's scrambling to find a new day care before the month ends.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- The Tutor Time day care center in Ronkonkoma is set to close by the end of the month to make room for part of the $1.2 billion Station Yards multiuse project.
Parents told Newsday they learned from Tutor Time staff last week the day care would close May 30.
The Carroll Avenue building that houses the center is to be sold later this year to Station Yards developer Tritec Real Estate.
"I own a ... company and we are entering our busiest season," she said Friday in a telephone interview. "I need my kids to have child care. It's been extremely stressful [and] frantic, especially because they can't even finish out the school year."
Tritec is in contract to buy the building this summer from Tutor Time's landlord, Tutor Station Plaza LLC, Tritec director of marketing Chris Kelly said Friday in a phone interview. Tutor Time is the property's only tenant, he said.
A deadline to leave
Tutor Station Plaza owner Len Axinn, of Greenlawn, said he had given Tutor Time a June 30 deadline to leave the building.
“We have nothing to do with [Tutor Time's] correspondence and the communication with the students” and their parents, Axinn said in a telephone interview Monday.
He said he felt forced to sell the building because it could be seized by Brookhaven Town via eminent domain.
Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency chief executive Lisa M.G. Mulligan said the town had not taken steps to condemn the property.
Kelly said the property will be part of Phase 1B of the multiphase Station Yards development. He added Phase 1B, including a mix of retail, residential and commercial uses, is awaiting Brookhaven Town approvals.
Kelly said Tritec had no role in closing Tutor Time, adding, "the lease is between two parties that aren't us."
"That's [the current landlord's] purview," he said Friday in a phone interview. "The relationship between Tutor Time and the owner is not something we've been involved in. ... We would put a day care into Station Yards — whether it's Tutor Time or someone else — later on."
When completed, Station Yards could include up to 1,450 apartments, 195,000 square feet of retail and 360,000 square feet of office space, Newsday has previously reported. Tritec officials have said they don't know when the entire project will be completed.
In redevelopment plans
Kelly added the building occupied by Tutor Time has been included in redevelopment plans since the project was approved by Brookhaven Town more than a decade ago.
Brookhaven Councilman Neil Foley, who represents Ronkonkoma on the town board, said Tutor Station Plaza had been in discussions with Tritec to sell the building for about two years.
He said parents of children at Tutor Time "are angry they had only a 30-day window" before the day care closes.
"The town has nothing to do with this at all," Foley said by telephone on Friday. "There's a contract for Tritec to purchase this property."
Kerry Cohen, who has two children enrolled at the day care, said she felt blindsided by the short notice given to parents.
"Letting the staff, directors and our families only know 30 days before a move-out? It's just not right," she said.
Cohen said Tutor Time faculty were trying to relocate children to other facilities. Her children were promised a place at the Holbrook location.
Wood also praised the Ronkonkoma faculty, but she has yet to find a new day care. Her preferred Tutor Time facility in Oakdale is "at full capacity," she said.
"If nothing pans out for me specifically ... I'm going to frantically try to find any other open summer camps and/or have to rely on family members who are not often available," she said. "I'm not actually sure" what we'll do, she added.
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