Fairhop K-1 Center project progressing campus overhaul

Fairhope, Alabama (WKRGMore) – The administration building at the Fairhope K-1 Center was demolished on Monday. It’s part of a larger master plan for downtown properties.

“It will be a welcome space. It will be the entrance for people to enter the campus,” Rhydonna Moseley explained to The Fairhope Educational Enrichment Foundation.

This is the only building that has been demolished so far, but the city is awaiting a structural report on the main campus building, which has been vacant for over a decade.

“Since they started this demolition, we’ve had a lot of visitors stop by. They didn’t want to see it, so it got a lot of attention. They have a lot of memories here.” Moseley said.

The Fairhope Educational Enrichment Foundation, known as FEEF, has already broken ground on the north end of the facility. They are renting a piece of land for indoor and outdoor learning, which will eventually tie into the existing Pelican’s Nest Science Laboratory. They plan to use much of what is already here.

“We will have seminars on our outdoor campus to educate people about sustainability, stormwater runoff and solar panels,” Moseley continued.

Four existing classroom buildings have been completely renovated inside and out, creating spaces for Baldwin County Public Schools students of all ages to experience hands-on learning during field trips and birthday parties under the adjacent pavilion. Offers.

“We plan to create a bird sanctuary, a butterfly garden and a sensory garden,” says Moseley.

The pavilion is part of a three-phase project estimated to cost nearly $4 million when fully built. This is a huge leap from his $780,000 estimate they received before building costs rose due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The timeline for Phases 2 and 3 will not be known until additional funding is secured.