SOURCES OF PUBLIC FINANCING Public funding for the $6 million project came primarily from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, and includes the building’s construction, infrastructure improvements, and habitat restoration. Additional funding came from the Central Regional State Parks Commission, which raised $1 million in donations and grants for the project. A $500,000 Environmental Protection Fund grant through the Central Region Economic Development Council was obtained by The Open Space Institute for funding of the building’s construction. Approximately 95% of the total construction cost came from public funds.
SUBMITTED BY Beardsley | Auburn, New York Photo Credit | © 2019 John Griebsch
Historic Preservation | Award of Merit Green Lakes State Park, Environmental Education Center | Auburn, New York
AN HISTORIC BOATHOUSE BECOMES AN EDUCATION CENTER
Enhancing the Visitor Experience at the Most Visited Park in Central New York.
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riginally constructed in 1942, the historic boathouse at Green Lakes State Park is an iconic structure to anyone who has visited the beach at the north end of Green Lake. The building had been in use since its construction, but lacked an adequate foundation due to poor soils. The NYS Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYSOPRPH) selected the architect/engineer to design the restoration and conversion of the building into a new environmental education center. As a registered historic structure, renovations also required coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office. An assessment determined that the building could be salvaged, but due to settlement and failure of the foundation, proximity to the water, and flooding issues, it should be relocated inland. To create the new environmental education center and alleviate structural
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issues, the existing structure was meticulously dismantled and rebuilt on an entirely new foundation system, preserving as much of the building as possible. Existing stone columns were catalogued, moved by crane to the new foundation, and repaired. Interior wood beams were also relocated to preserve the historic architecture on the building’s interior. Relocation also allowed the design team to rotate the structure 180 degrees so the central gathering space could face the lake instead of the parking lot. Following relocation, the building was restored and renovated to provide four-season usage. As visitors walk along the lake, they can take a detour to the building to learn about the Park. The central exhibit space, anchored by the preserved stone columns, includes educational kiosks and displays about the Park’s unique meromictic lakes, wildlife and habitats, and history. Skylights along
