Kaplan University Celebrates Opening of 100,000 Square-Foot South Florida Facility

Kaplan University Celebrates Opening of 100,000 Square-Foot South Florida Facility

Mayor, City Officials Attend Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for One of the Area's Largest Employers

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of its incredible 2004 growth, Kaplan University celebrated the opening of a major new facility this morning at an official ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Fort Lauderdale city leaders, real estate partners and employees.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050124/NYM202 )

Andrew Rosen, President, Kaplan University and President and Chief Operating Officer, Kaplan, Inc., officiated the event with special guests: Jim Naugle, Mayor of the City of Fort Lauderdale; Christine Teel, Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner, District 1; and Jonathan Grayer, Chairman and CEO, Kaplan, Inc.

"The City of Fort Lauderdale is honored to have Kaplan University as a new resident and community partner," said Jim Naugle, Mayor of the City of Fort Lauderdale. "We welcome their online support center as a major economic and academic force in our area, especially with their significant recruitment efforts in South Florida."

"This is a tremendous day for us; we have much to celebrate," said university president Andrew Rosen. "Our exponential enrollment growth-from a handful of online students in year 2000, to over 21,000 now-continues to drive our support operations' demand for high quality space and dedicated employees.

"Our new Fort Lauderdale facility is the largest of our three South Florida locations, which include Boca Raton and Delray Beach. We eagerly continue to recruit the best and brightest talent in all three counties," Rosen continued.

Kaplan expects over 700 full-time employees to work from this location, as Kaplan University -- an Iowa-based institution -- continues to expand as one of the leading employers in South Florida. The ribbon-cutting event took place in front of the new four-story office building located off West Cypress Creek Road, in what had been known in the local commercial real estate industry as Cypress Creek Concourse, a sleek spec building that is owned and operated by The Alter Group.

The new Kaplan University facility is located at 6301 Kaplan University Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309. The building also recently won two annual awards for real estate deal of the year in the office lease category by both the South Florida Business Journal and the local South Florida Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).*

Cushman & Wakefield brokerage professionals in the New York, Fort Lauderdale and Chicago offices, in conjunction with members of C&W's project management and transaction consulting groups, acted as real estate advisor to Kaplan. In addition, Cushman & Wakefield's Fort Lauderdale office acted as building agent on behalf of the owner, The Alter Group.

Rosen also took the opportunity to announce a major new community outreach initiative. Kaplan University plans to provide mentoring assistance, in collaboration with both Volunteer Broward and the Mentor Center of Palm Beach County. The announcement was fitting as January 2005 has been declared official National Mentoring Month. As Kaplan's presence has grown in South Florida, it is finding new ways to support the community it serves. As a kick off to its new pledge, the university is planning a mentoring fair at its new location on February 23, 2005.

Kaplan University, based in Davenport, Iowa, is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). With nearly 22,000 on-ground and online students, Kaplan University joins the ranks of the largest universities in the U.S.

About Kaplan Higher Education and Kaplan, Inc.

Kaplan, Inc.'s higher education division, including Kaplan University and Concord Law School, comprises 70 campus-based locations in 16 states. Kaplan Higher Education offers master, bachelor and associate degrees, as well as certificates designed to provide students with the skills necessary to qualify them for employment in fields such as business, criminal justice, education, fashion and design, healthcare, information technology, legal and paralegal studies. Kaplan is a leading provider of educational and career services to students, schools, professionals and businesses worldwide. For nearly 70 years, Kaplan has helped millions of individuals achieve their educational and career goals. Kaplan is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO). For more information about Kaplan, please visit http://www.kaplan.com/.

Note to editors: Kaplan is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO)

Press contact:
Charles Lynn,
clynn@kaplan.edu
(954) 515-4574
Cell: (561) 350-1363

* Note: Facility fact sheet is attached or available by request.


Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050124/NYM202
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Kaplan University

CONTACT: Charles Lynn of Kaplan University, +1-954-515-4574, or, Cell:
+1-561-350-1363, or clynn@kaplan.edu

Web site: http://www.kaplan.com/


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