The long-awaited construction work to repair the long-term structural water damage identified in the Visitor Center building finally began on May 9th. According to Head Ranger Matt Delcarlo, the work will primarily consist of removing and replacing damaged building materials in two exterior roof/wall areas, repairing areas of water leakage around the roof skylights, and removing and replacing some areas of interior drywall near/along the exhibition hall windows that face the rear outdoor patio area.
If all goes well, the time needed to complete this work is currently estimated to be about 60 days, which means the repairs and building restoration may be finished by mid-July. With some additional time needed for interior cleaning and re-organizing, we are hoping that the Visitor Center could be re-opened to the public in late July or early August! Hooray!
To say the least, the Friends are excited about the possibility of the Visitor Center finally being open again this summer. Except for a very brief re-opening of less than one month in July of last year, it’s been continually closed since the pandemic began in March 2020! We are looking forward to a having a celebratory re-opening with you and will keep you apprised of both the progress of the on-going work and our celebration plans in this space. We can’t wait!