Quest Academy Expands: Acquisitions Help School Achieve its Long-Term Mission

PALATINE, Ill., Dec.1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Quest Academy, an independent school for gifted students located in Palatine, will expand its campus with the purchase of the adjoining Palatine Centre, as well as a 3.68 acre parcel of nearby green space facing Plum Grove Road directly to the west of the retail plaza.  This announcement was made today by Ben Hebebrand, Head of School.

These separate transactions will provide the school more green space, enabling Quest Academy to expand its athletic and outdoor education programs, while also creating an investment opportunity through ownership of the adjacent office/retail space. 

"We have spent a number of years searching for the right opportunity to expand our physical footprint and we are extraordinarily pleased to have concluded these transactions today so close to our current facility. We are thrilled to deepen our relationship with the Palatine community and continue to contribute to its educational and cultural offerings," said Hebebrand.   

Hebebrand noted that Quest Academy purchased the retail plaza adjacent to the school in order to secure ownership of real estate in the immediate vicinity of the school.

"The acquisition of the retail center enables us to be both tenant and landlord. We will operate the center, with the help of a professional management firm, with the goal of making it the best and most successful center possible for our tenants," said Curtis Maas, a Quest trustee who was instrumental in acquisition negotiations.  "We are proud of our involvement with the Village of Palatine and this addition will help us to continue to be good neighbors to the surrounding community and its residents."

"Quest Academy's continued pursuit of excellence is directly related to our educational mission of meeting the needs of gifted students throughout the northwest suburbs and greater Chicago area," said Hebebrand. "Our campus expansion is a credit to our tireless faculty and staff and to the vision of past and current trustees, parents, and supporters, who have always recognized the critical need and demand for a school such as ours. To ensure a bright future here in the northwest suburbs and throughout the world, gifted children deserve a school that is solely committed to meeting their needs."

About Quest Academy

Founded in 1982, Quest Academy currently serves more than 280 students from throughout the Chicagoland area, with a staff and administration of 54.  Quest Academy, an independent day school for children from preschool through eighth grade, admits students who show evidence of exceptional intellectual capability.  By providing these gifted students with a rich, rigorous and differentiated curriculum, Quest prepares them for competitive higher education programs and productive professional careers while inspiring a lifelong love of scholarship and appreciation of the arts.  For more information, visit www.questacademy.org.  

SOURCE Quest Academy