I-35 expansion forces this Austin daycare to move. It's not the first time.
Escuelita del Alma is only one of more than one hundred homes, businesses and properties seeking new locations as part of the upcoming Interstate 35 widening project.
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On a Tuesday afternoon in April, the squeal of kids heading toward the playground echoed from the backyard of Escuelita del Alma, a break in the steady noise of interstate traffic just feet away.
The Spanish immersion daycare and preschool is tucked away on the corner of Interstate 35 and 32nd Street. But prior to its home base along I-35, it was once in the heart of downtown Austin, in the 200 block of Congress Avenue.
The school served alongside Las Manitas Avenue Cafe – that is, until both were displaced in 2008 and later replaced by the JW Marriott Austin.
Now, it feels a bit like repeating history, said Jaime Cano, Escuelita del Alma's assistant director. He's been with Escuelita for 15 years and is now helping guide it through its second forced relocation — this time, courtesy of the Texas Department of Transportation's planned I-35 expansion.