|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Classified Chestnut Hill Local Webmaster Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or ©2006 Chestnut Hill Local Winner of Three |
Rendell grants Morris Arboretum $4.6 million state
dollars
Morris Arboretum’s annual fundraiser has received its largest donation yet — $4.65 million — in a Redevelopment Assistance Capital grant from Gov. Rendell. Rendell showed up to help celebrate the windfall at the arboretum’s June 9 Moonlight and Roses gala. The money will be used to build a new Horticultural Center at the Arboretum’s Bloomfield Farm, on Northwestern Avenue. The arboretum is part of the University of Pennsylvania, Rendell’s alma mater. “The new center will nearly triple our space,” said the arboretum’s F. Otto Haas Director, Paul Meyer. “We will be able to serve more people.” Meyer said the arboretum also received a $350,000 grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to complete the architectural plans. He said the new facility would likely support the horticultural department, providing additional vehicle storage and office space. The plans also call for a large lecture room that could be divided into three classrooms. The governor’s release of the money from the capital budget comes almost 10 years after the arboretum first applied for state funding toward the $10 million cost of building the center. The building will be the first structural addition to the arboretum since the 19th century, Meyer said. It was originally designed as part of a master plan in 1977. The grant was approved by the state legislature in 2000, Meyer said, but the arboretum had yet to receive any funds – until Rendell stepped in. Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo said the governor was pleased to be able to support the arboretum. “The governor felt that enhancing services to the community by expanding the arboretum would benefit students, staff and visitors alike,” Ardo said. Meyer said he expects the planning to be complete by next summer and construction to begin in fall 2007. Meyer hopes to have the new facility open by late 2008 or early 2009. Contact staff writer Jennifer Katz at 215-248-8804 or jenn@chestnuthilllocal.com. |
