Optima, Inc. today announced it has completed the buildout of Guidepost Montessori at Magnificent Mile’s new elementary school at Optima Signature, the firm’s mixed-use development at 220 E. Illinois St. in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. Completed by Optima’s team in just three months, the new 14,000-square-foot elementary addition, which will serve grades 1-6, is now accepting registrations for in-person learning.

“As a vertically integrated firm, Optima was uniquely positioned to exceed construction timelines and deliver a new quality education choice in Streeterville at a time when so many parents need in-person alternatives to traditional schools,” said David Hovey Sr., CEO of Optima, Inc. and architect of Optima Signature.

The on-campus expansion comes on the heels of Optima, Inc. releasing four business suites at Optima Signature earlier this month to be used as pandemic learning pods, for both residents and nonresidents seeking home-based options due to the pandemic. According to Hovey, Guidepost Montessori has offered to work with families who use the pods if they need teachers, educational materials or supplemental learning programs as part of the school’s new Guidepost at Home program.

In addition to the at-home option and new in-person elementary wing, Guidepost Montessori at Magnificent Mile also added an infant room, rounding out their ability to serve families from birth through elementary. While the early childhood programming runs year-round, the elementary program that kicked off Aug. 31 follows a traditional schedule and runs through June.

The Magnificent Mile expansion is part of Guidepost Montessori’s larger growth in Chicago, with three new early childhood campuses opening in Lincoln Park, Schaumburg and Edgewater, bringing the network’s total Chicago presence to seven regional schools. Magnificent Mile’s elementary school is open to all residents interested in its Montessori programming, regardless of prior enrollment at a Guidepost campus.

The elementary expansion features two new mixed-age learning environments with the capacity to eventually serve 80 students, though spots are limited as the network operates with smaller class sizes and heightened health and safety protocols due to COVID-19.

“We are so excited to be creating a Montessori elementary program for our families as we have seen Chicago’s clear desire for high-quality Montessori education, and that doesn’t abruptly end at kindergarten but truly grows with the child,” said Sarah Silverman, head of school of the Magnificent Mile campus. “Expanding into elementary allows us to take that next step with families, when children enter a powerful shift in how they learn from the ‘absorbent mind’ to the ‘conscious mind.’”

The announcement of the new elementary school also coincides with the 150th anniversary of the birth of Maria Montessori (Aug. 31), an Italian physician and educator known for the education philosophy of self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play.

“The new school is just the latest dynamic business we’ve intentionally curated at our Optima Signature mixed-use development to fill the myriad needs in this growing downtown neighborhood for our residents and people who live and work nearby,” said Hovey.

Other retail tenants at Optima Signature include Egg Harbor Café, a restaurant specializing in breakfast, brunch and lunch; GoodVets Streeterville, a full-service veterinarian redefining pet care; RUNAWAY fitness, a run conditioning fitness studio; and Bedazzled Nails & Spa – all of which have remained open and operating in accordance with CDC guidelines.

Certified LEED Silver, Optima Signature is a 57-story, 490-unit luxury rental development featuring 1.5 acres of amenity space. Offerings include: resort-style indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools; cabanas and bars; a cutting-edge fitness center with saunas, steam rooms and WELLBEATS™ virtual workout studio; resident lounge with coffee bar; basketball, squash and bocce ball courts; golf simulator and putting green; and outdoor terraces with lounge furnishings, fire pits and spas. Another floor has cardio and strength-training equipment, a yoga studio, locker rooms with both steam and shower, indoor lap pool, and indoor children’s play area. Outdoor amenities include a 40-yard running track, dog park, children’s play area, whirlpool spa, cabanas, lounge seating, televisions, co-ed sauna and steam rooms, a kitchen, grilling stations and dining areas.

For more information about Guidepost Montessori at Magnificent Mile and to set up a tour, visit www.guidepostmontessori.com/magnificent-mile, or call (312) 796-9400. Visit guidepostmontessori.com/locations to learn about other U.S. locations.

About Optima, Inc.:

Optima, Inc is a privately-held, design-driven real estate development firm with offices in Illinois and Arizona. For more than 40 years, Optima has been developing, designing, building, marketing and managing striking urban and suburban luxury residential communities. From the beginning, Optima aimed to reinvent housing by integrating the functions involved in new construction within one company. Optima controls and executes every aspect of the process in-house – development, design, construction, sales and management – for a dynamic system that offers greater focus and fluidity. Optima is committed to delivering extraordinary living through design, innovation, sustainability and management. The result has been the creation of over 40 communities in Arizona and Illinois, along with being nationally recognized with over 50 prestigious awards. Optima, Inc. was named a Crain’s Best Places to Work. Learn more at Optima.Inc.

About Guidepost Montessori:

Guidepost Montessori is the world’s largest dedicated Montessori network comprised of more than 70 brick-and-mortar schools, Virtual School, and in-home Montessori childcare and learning pods. Collectively, Guidepost serves more than 3,500 families with programming from birth through middle school. Owned and operated by Higher Ground Education, Guidepost and Higher Ground are dedicated to bringing high-fidelity, next generation Montessori to the mainstream. Our world-class educators are trained in-house through an MACTE-accredited Montessori teacher-training institute, The Prepared Montessorian.  For more information, visit www.guidepostmontessori.com.