Sanibel, Captiva environmental group starts construction on housing village

Construction on a new intern village at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation in Lee County is underway. Stevens Construction, the general contractor, has begun site survey work at the project, at 3341 Sanibel-Captiva Road.

The 30-bed La Gorce Family Intern Village housing project features three elevated buildings totaling 7,700 square feet. The buildings, which will house students, researchers and conservationists, will be connected by a shared elevated deck, pavilion and grand staircase.

According to SCCF, the structures include an exterior amphitheater to be built on a circular clearing that will act as an informal daily living room and a flexible public space for field classes, lectures and performances. The pavilion will accommodate shared meals, workshops and hands-on ecological learning.

SCCF, along with the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium and the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, will use the housing for seasonal interns conducting research, monitoring, education and advocacy work, the organization says.

Fort Myers-based Stevens says the village was designed with resilience in mind.

The construction company says to withstand potential storm surge and support the structural design, buildings will be elevated approximately five feet above FEMA’s base flood elevation and it will incorporate a range of sustainable features. Among those features are an aluminum standing-seam roof, along with screened pavilions and porches designed to enhance outdoor usability.

As for the materials, they were chosen for their low maintenance requirements, durability and long service life, “ensuring long-term performance in a demanding environment,” Stevens says in the statement.

Boston-based CO–G Architecture, along with Amy Nowacki Architect LLC serving as local architect. designed the village.

The cost of the village was not disclosed.

SCCF was founded in 1967 as a land trust and works to protect Southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems through conservation, science, education and advocacy. The organization’s headquarters was amid a remodel when Hurricane Ian hit in 2022 — pushing two feet of water into the building.

The intern housing buildings were totally destroyed during the storm and eventually demolished.

According to its 2023 Form 990 posted on the nonprofit research company Candid GuideStar’s website, SCCF had $49.12 million in total assets.