Food to Kids: Westover Aldi Store to Become Child Care Center

An abandoned grocery store near Johnson City is being converted into a daycare facility.

United Health Services plans to use the building that had housed an Aldi food market at 619 Main Street in Westover.

The Aldi store, which had operated at the site for nearly a quarter-century, closed in October 2020 when the company opened a larger store on Harry L. Drive in Johnson City.

The child care center is being developed for use by UHS employees. The healthcare network will lease the property, which was acquired from Aldi by Gurshan Properties LLC of Vestal for $575,000 in 2021.

UHS has partnered with Massachusetts-based Bright Horizons to develop and launch the Westover facility. The child care center will be located a short distance west of Wilson Medical Center.

Plans for the project were approved by the town of Union planning board in February. Construction work now is underway at the site.

A UHS spokesperson said the center's capacity will be 82 children. The facility initially will be for young children - from infant through preschool. The center eventually may provide after-school care for older children.

Although the facility is being developed for use by United Health Services workers, there is a possibility it could be used by others in the community depending on demand and capacity.

The center is expected to open early next year.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.