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Naples, Fort Myers and Charlotte

A Deerfield Beach chain of day care centers is expanding in Southwest Florida with plans for three new locations. The three centers — in Fort Myers, Estero and Naples — will total 30,000 square feet and open over the next three years, the company says. The chain is The Learning Experience, which already has 40 centers across the state. Early details are scant, and the company did not respond to questions about whether it was building new facilities or moving into existing ones. What is known is that the each will have about 10,000 square feet of indoor space with an additional 5,000-square-foot playground. The centers will each employ about 30 people. The company, which both owns and franchises its centers, also did not say whether it would buy the properties or lease them. The new Fort Myers center will be at 6080 Jonathans Bay Dr. and is expected to open later this year. The one in Estero will be at 19950 S. Tamiami Trail and is expected to open in the third quarter of next year. And the Naples school will be at 4735 Santa Barbara Blvd. and is expected to open in the third quarter of 2027. Last year, when The Learning Experience announced it was opening a new center in Pasco County, it said the cost to build a new school is, on average, $3.2 million to $3.5 million.