Open house held at Biden Environmental Center
Paul McGrath from Edgewater, N.J., looked through images of Cape Henlopen State Park on an interactive screen at the Biden Environmental Center.
He was among a large crowd of people who got a look inside the newly renovated building.
“It’s nice. Preservation is always good,” McGrath said.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control held the first of two open houses at the facility Feb. 22.
According to the Delaware State Parks website, the two-story building was constructed in 1962 by the U.S. Navy as part of the Oceanographic Research Station at Fort Miles.
The state acquired the property in the 1990s.
The building was deemed unsafe in 2013 due to its lack of modern safety and accessibility features. It recently underwent a $15 million makeover and was rededicated by then-Gov. John Carney in December.
The inside is all new, except for the lower ceilings left over from the Navy days.
The building has three meeting rooms, with the largest able to hold 98 people, and 21 overnight guest rooms. It now has an elevator, nature-themed rooms, smart boards, wi-fi and video conferencing capability.
DNREC will use the facility as its statewide training center.
The building will also serve as a resource for groups interested in the environment, especially to study Delaware’s wildlife and ecosystems, and to host educational seminars, meetings, retreats and conferences, according to the state parks website.
Another open house is scheduled from 3 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 30.
