Extension office project on hold to secure more funding

            A project to renovate the former Estuarine Research Reserve building at Scipio Creek in Apalachicola is on hold while the local extension office seeks additional funding.

The building has been vacant since 2011 when the Estuarine Research Reserve moved to a new nature center in Eastpoint.

Once the building has been renovated, the building will belong to the University of Florida and house the Franklin county Extension Office.

The Extension office has about 550 thousand dollars to pay for the renovations – unfortunately that won’t be enough.

Extension Director Erik Lovestrand said the total cost will be closer to 750 thousand dollars.

Lovestrand said he now has no option but to seek additional funding to get the project moving forward.

The building needs some major repairs including a new roof and all of the sheetrock will have to be replaced.

It also needs to be brought into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

And there will have to be substantial work done to the phone and IT system.

The University of Florida will not move forward on the project until the funding has been secured.

One part of the job that is moving forward is the repaving of the road in front of the building which is being paid for by the county and will be reimbursed by the University.

The CW Roberts Company is already on site working on the road and parking lot.

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