Archive: Around Town

The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) announced Thursday that enhancements will begin this month to make the Cayuga Nature Center lodge accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for the first time in its history. The enhancements, which will be sensitive to the historical appearance of the WPA-era building, will provide a more welcoming experience to all visitors by summer 2014.

The renovations will include wheelchair ramps, an ADA-accessible lift, a large double-door entrance, and a new lobby and reception area. These enhancements are part of a larger strategic multi-phase effort to develop a 'new' Nature Center, which will serve as a premier educational venue for teaching and learning about the natural history of the Cayuga Lake basin. New exhibits and programming will focus on the local climate, evolution, forest ecology, flora and fauna, and human impacts.

The renovations are a part of the merger between PRI and the Nature Center, which was finalized in 2013.

PRI Director Warren D. Allmon, explained, “This renovation will make the Cayuga Nature Center accessible to all visitors and is a major step towards making the Nature Center a year-round local attraction.” The architect of the project, Claudia Brenner, emphasizes how the history of the 1939 Lodge guided the design of the renovation.

“The new entrance and interior lift will finally make Cayuga Nature Center ADA accessible," Brenner says. "The proposed canopy reflects the historic porch, which was enclosed in the early 1990’s. The stonework and lighting will add to the historic features of the existing building.”

PRI is still raising funds to complete the enhancements to the Nature Center as part of Rock the Future: Inspiring the Earth Scientists of Tomorrow, PRI’s campaign to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Museum of the Earth. The quarter-million dollar renovation project is funded with major support from the Tompkins County Tourism Program and other private donors.

v10i2