On Monday, June 30th, around 10:00pm, ELC received a large lightning strike to the Wet Lab Pavilion. The entire Wet Lab and Classroom are a 100% loss. The public bathrooms also caught on fire and were ruined.
So now we are off and running to rebuild what was lost. The architectural firm of Clemens Bruns Schaub & Assoc. is busy designing the new space. "Green" construction practices are foremost in their design. Green is also what they are saving the ELC since they are donating their architectural services.
ELC's Board voted unanimously to accept an offer from The Hill Group of Vero Beach to build the facility. Toby Hill has graciously and kindly offered to handle the construction without making a profit. He plans to assemble a civic-minded team of sub-contractors and suppliers who, hopefully, will do all they can do to keep costs down. In the meantime, Mr. Hill is already looking into the first phase: demolition and clean-up.
ELC staff members met to develop a list of improvements - a wish list - for the new buildings. With 14 years of use in the prior buildings, we know what worked and what didn't. Great and exciting plans for the new space!
More Facts:
~ELC does have insurance. However, it is likely that the insurance will not cover all of the costs associated with the fire. This is a huge, huge loss. Please consider helping by making a donation to the Fire Fund. Details on our Home Page.
~ ELC continues to remain open for FREE visitation Tues - Fri 10am - 4pm, Sat 9am - 12pm, Sun 1pm - 4pm. Yes, your visit will be different, but you can still walk on our boardwalks and see our native plant gardens.
Thank you for the hundreds of emails and phone calls expressing your concern and offering help.