52 more spaces: Parking lot expansion to accommodate Variety Child’s growing program
A parking lot expansion project to accommodate additional staff at Variety Child Learning Center is currently underway at Bellerose Avenue Elementary School. This view looks southeast; the playground can be spotted in the background.
The Bellerose Avenue Elementary School parking lot is being expanded to add 52 spaces, school district officials told the Journal earlier this week. The spaces will accommodate additional employees at Variety Child Learning Center (VCLC) as the center increases its staffing levels to meet program needs, the district said.
VCLC provides early childhood education, universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) programs and special education services across its three locations. Last school year, the nonprofit organization was one of four full-day UPK providers for the Northport-East Northport district. “The number of staff members required to support the specialized program has exceeded the capacity of the existing parking area,” the district said. “The expansion will provide adequate and safe parking for staff members and help ensure that vehicles are parked in designated areas, supporting the overall safety and operation of the campus.”
The parking lot project is tied to the planned expansion of VCLC’s lease agreement and the additional lease revenue associated with that expansion, according to the district. It is being funded through the district’s general fund.
The lease agreement between the Northport-East Northport Union Free School District and Variety Child Learning Center was signed on September 5, 2024. The lease term began on July 1, 2025 and ends on June 30, 2035.
Bobcats could be seen early Monday morning leveling formerly grassy areas in between the campus’ Bellerose Avenue entrance and exit, as well as to the east of the entrance, nearest to the playground. Some of the property lining the inner drop-off circle has also been graded.
Mounds of soil on the property’s back field, visible via the Vets Nature Study Area trail, “is excess material generated during the parking lot grading work” and no construction is taking place there, the district said.
According to the 30-page lease agreement, provided via FOIL request to the Northport Journal in September 2024, the portion of building premises being leased to Variety Child more than doubles in size from year one to year three, going from 15,302 square feet in July 2025 to an anticipated 38,617 square feet in year three.
The initial rent began at $267,785 annually, with monthly payments of $22,315.42. According to the lease, rent will increase every year, reaching up to $881,762 by the end of the ten-year lease term, with monthly payments reaching $73,480.20.
During its inaugural year, VCLC’s Bellerose Avenue campus opened four preschool special education classrooms and launched four UPK classrooms, including two integrated classrooms, VCLC officials told the Journal in an email today. That first year, the campus enrolled approximately 90 students, with more than 30 employees at the location.
This September, Variety will add two preschool special education classrooms and two school-age classrooms serving children in kindergarten through second grade. Variety will also expand its partnership with the school district by opening a fifth UPK classroom this fall. In January, the organization plans to open two additional preschool special education classrooms.
VCLC officials told the Journal in August 2025 that the school has plans to expand to nearly 200 students as the program reaches full capacity.
For more information about Variety Child Learning Center and its programs, visit https://varietyclc.org/.
Don’t miss a story
Get the latest news delivered to your inbox.
