Chambliss Center for Children makes biggest off-campus expansion ever

2nd thrift store, new education center to open in Red Bank

Chambliss CEO Phil Acord, center, leads Catharine Daniels, left, and Gloria Miller through the former Girl Scout Council building on Thursday, March 31, 2016, in Red Bank, Tenn. Chambliss Center is acquiring the building for a thrift store and early childhood education center.
Chambliss CEO Phil Acord, center, leads Catharine Daniels, left, and Gloria Miller through the former Girl Scout Council building on Thursday, March 31, 2016, in Red Bank, Tenn. Chambliss Center is acquiring the building for a thrift store and early childhood education center.
photo Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians CEO Lynne Fugate at the former Girl Scout Council building on Thursday, March 31, 2016, in Red Bank, Tenn. Chambliss Center is acquiring the building for a thrift store and early childhood education center.

Chambliss Center for Children, in the biggest off-campus expansion in its 144-year history, has bought a Red Bank building where it plans a new thrift store and early childhood education center.

"We think this satisfies two strategic initiatives," said Chambliss chief Phil Acord on Thursday.

Acord said renovation will start next week at the longtime Girl Scout Council of Southern Appalachians building at 1936 Dayton Blvd., which Chambliss bought for $410,000.

Chambliss plans to spend more than $250,000 to remodel the 13,500-square-foot structure that served as the local Girl Scout center for some three decades.

Lynne Fugate, the Girl Scout Council's CEO, said it will open a 3,500-square-foot office at 6101 Enterprise Park Blvd., North, Suite 600, off Bonny Oaks Drive.

She said the Girl Scouts didn't need all the space at the Dayton Boulevard location. The new site will serve Girl Scout staff and have a retail presence, Fugate said.

The nonprofit Chambliss Center already operates an early childhood education facility at its Brainerd campus. The new center is expected to serve about 60 children from age 6 weeks to 4 years old, according to Chambliss.

Overall, Chambliss serves more than 650 children daily through its programs, which also include extended child care and a residential program.

Its existing thrift store operates on Brainerd Road, and Acord said it generated gross revenue of about $480,000 last year.

"Brainerd has been successful," he said. "We need to open a second one."

The new facility is funded from Chambliss' $5.5 million capital campaign, for which it has raised $5 million so far, Acord said.

Red Bank Mayor John Roberts said the thrift store should bring more sales tax revenue to the city as well as added early childhood education spots for working parents.

Chambliss' new facility will "help their product and help our coffers," he said. "Chambliss has a long history and a great tradition."

Acord said one aim of the nonprofit's capital campaign was expanding its early childhood education and child-care program to serve more at-risk children. The Red Bank community was identified as an area of need.

The education center will go in about 4,000 square feet with plans to open in August if possible, Acord said.

The thrift store will take up some 9,000 square feet and open by September, giving people living in the North Hamilton County area a location to shop and donate, according to Chambliss.

The building also will house one apartment for its residential program, officials said. Acord said Chambliss will employ about 25 people at the site.

The Chambliss Center traces its history back to 1872, when it was set up as an orphanage.

It newest building, before housing the Girl Scouts, held an armory and private shooting gallery, according to Chambliss.

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.

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