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This morning we raised the mercury on the thermometer at the McCord building in Easton, and the heat is on.With $4.175 million in the fund, we are about two-thirds of the way to our goal of $6.3 million.

And we have limited time to raise these funds. We go to settlement on the McCord building in April, and although the neighboring building, “Brick Row,” was donated to Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, we still need to renovate it.

These two buildings have the potential to change the future for this part of Easton. With the Memorial Hospital at Easton slated to move in the next several years, what will become of the South Washington Street corridor?

Our vision is for an Eastern Shore Conservation Center, a green campus that will serve as Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s headquarters, as well as a home for many other conservation organizations working on the Eastern Shore. The Nature Conservancy already has signed on to open an office at the ESCC, and we expect soon to announce it as the Eastern Shore home of other organizations, as well. It could have a cafe or other commercial businesses, a courtyard, community meeting space, and desk space for telecommuters.

Now is the time. For the next several weeks, we will be working hard to raise enough money to purchase McCord and renovate both buildings to start a renaissance on South Washington Street. This a piece of Eastern Shore history, a landmark that can be an important part of the future of the Eastern Shore.

Donate now or download a donor form (at bottom of this update). Tell your friends. Share the news on Facebook or Twitter. Forward this email. Grab a neighbor and come to the community meeting March 21 at the Easton library; tour the building on the 22nd; and come for the 2013 Peeps Contest judging at the building on the 23rd. Please feel free to call the Queenstown office at 410-827-9756.

We hope you will join us to secure these buildings – and commit to conservation – for the Eastern Shore’s future.