Visitor Pavilion at Miami Dade College's Environmental Center

HUD Miami field Office Director Armando Fana follows Miami Dade College President Eduardo Padrón in offering remarks at the inauguration ceremony of the Environmental Center Visitor Pavilion

Visitors to the Miami Dade College Environmental Center are greeted at a very modern looking pavilion that has implemented the latest technologies to diminish its carbon footprint. This 21st century version of a gazebo was built where a decaying chickee hut (beyond repair) once stood.

The architects decided to apply the knowledge and wisdom of the vernacular Florida architecture and paid attention to its position towards the sun, designed large openings for cross ventilation and then incorporated LEED standards to be completely "off the grid" - utilizing solar panels, a composting toilet and a system to collect rain water. The result is a building ready to be showcased to the more than 10,000 persons that visit the facility each year, that operates without any need for public utilities.

A HUD grant of $142,500 from the Economic Development Initiative Special Project Program was the seed money to leverage an equal amount of other public and private funds needed to complete the project.

At a special ceremony that took place October 2nd, Miami Dade College President Dr. Eduardo Padrón, HUD Miami Field Office Director Armando Fana, MDC Kendall Campus President Lourdes Oroza, and representatives from the architectural and construction firms, officially opened the doors to the first group of visitors to enjoy the new facility.

The college's Environmental Center (http://www.mdc.edu/ce/kendall/env/) is a nine-acre native nature preserve that features a pristine lake, an endangered pine rockland, hammocks, butterfly gardens, native plantings, an organic garden, and a variety of animals. It is open to the public every second Saturday from 9 am - 2 pm.

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