Eastern Shore Conservation Center Deadline Approaches
Eastern Shore Conservation Center Deadline Approaches $2.6 Million Must Be Raised by March 31, 2013 Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is pleased to release schematic drawings of the Eastern Shore Conservation Center. All drawings are courtesy of Atelier 11, the Easton architecture firm working on the project. ESLC hopes to turn the former McCord building and the neighboring office building (damaged by fire in September 2012) into a green campus that brings new vitality to both the neighborhood and the town. Called the Eastern Shore Conservation Center, this facility will create a working home for conservation organizations and businesses. This hub of activity will spark collaboration and innovation around conservation at a new scale for the Eastern Shore. (Rear view) In order to achieve this dream at the proposed site, ESLC must raise a total of $6.3 million -- $5.5 million for the purchase and renovation of the former McCord building and an additional $800,000 for the renovation of the office building. Toward this goal, ESLC already has raised $3.7 million, leaving $2.6 million to raise before March 31, 2013. In December, ESLC deepened its commitment to bringing an Eastern Shore Conservation Center to Easton by putting $650,000 toward the former McCord building in a process known as dry settlement, after which such a payment is held in escrow. Formal settlement on the building, should ESLC raise the necessary funds, will occur in April. Gov. Martin O’Malley included $1 million in his FY14 capital budget for the project, for which ESLC is required to raise matching funds. The office building at 130 South Washington Street, which was donated to ESLC by Helaine White, in September was damaged by fire. Currently, the building has a temporary roof, and a permanent roof must be installed quickly to avoid further damage to the structure. Estimates for a new roof are about