Academy 360, Denver's Health and Wellness Charter School, finds new home in Northstar Commercial Partners Building

DENVER, March 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Academy 360 Charter School, approved by Denver Public School District to serve students in the "Far Northeast" region of the District, has found a permanent home in a building purchased for the school by Northstar Commercial Partners. The building located at 12000 E. 47^th Street, Denver, Colorado, provides the space for Academy 360 to build out their full cradle-to-career program in the Montbello neighborhood. Sally Sorte, who founded Academy 360, has teaching and business experience through her tenure with Teach for America and Google. Ms. Sorte believes every child should have the choice to attend a 4-year college and is committed to providing the wrap around services students need to assure they are prepared for a successful future.

Academy 360 offers unique programming and currently serves students in preschool through third grade as a "Health and Wellness" school. The school is committed to developing the whole child: mind, body and character, as healthy students learn better. At Academy 360, health and wellness is a key lever to propel students' academic achievement. By using proven practices adopted from Namaste Charter School, a comprehensive health and wellness school in Chicago, and other schools integrating aspects of health and wellness into their curricula, Academy 360 is on the cutting edge of whole child development through its design, culture, and instruction.

Academy 360 currently shares space with The New Life Christian Center at 12505 Elmendorf Place in Denver, but lacks the space to grow and provide the services critical to the program's success. When Northstar's Founder and CEO, Brian Watson, heard the school was having a difficult time securing a permanent location, he offered to help.

For over 15 years, Northstar has had a strong track record of buying vacant and distressed assets from lenders, corporations, and other owners throughout the United States, improving these assets and placing them back into productivity to create jobs, opportunities, and empowerment for people in their local communities. When Brian Watson heard Academy 360 was looking for a new home, he put his team to work on a facility that would meet Academy 360's needs and be financially viable for a charter school. After lengthy negotiation efforts, Northstar was able to acquire a 29% occupied 56,610 square foot building at 12000 E. 47^th Street, located just off of I-70 and Peoria, on January 20, 2015. This will allow the school to continue to grow by a grade level each year until they serve Early Childhood Education through fifth grade students.

Watson stated: "We are passionate about creating opportunity for all citizens of Colorado and the United States, as we work to enhance the business and educational environments in each community.  We are honored to help Academy 360 secure a new home, and know that this investment in the Montbello Community will make a positive impact, empowering the Academy 360 students and their parents so they can pursue their dreams."

Brian Watson is so committed to creating equitable educational opportunities for students that he has started the Education Opportunity Fund to raise $100 Million to acquire properties for charter schools.

"We plan to buy and improve buildings for schools throughout Colorado," said Watson. "Public and other forms of quality education create a foundation for our children that allows them to succeed. As enrollment grows in Colorado, there is a growing need for adequate facilities. We will continue to use our real estate and investment expertise to help provide lasting benefits for schools that will have a positive impact on current and future generations."

Northstar Commercial Partners will invest additional capital in the property to meet the needs of Academy 360. The school's staff will move in this summer and the new building will welcome students when school starts in August 2015. 

To learn more about Academy 360, please visit http://www.academy-360.org. To learn more about the Education Opportunity Fund, visit www.EducationOpportunityFund.com. To learn more about Northstar Commercial Partners, Brian Watson, and/or their various community initiatives, visit www.NorthstarCP.com or www.BrianWatson.us.

Media Contact: Jaime Jones

720.240.0624

[email protected]

SOURCE Northstar Commercial Partners

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