Save- Emerald Coast Science Center

[stellala]

We need your support!

The Emerald Coast Science Center’s 20-year lease for its building on the Fort Walton Beach Landing has expired. The Fort Walton Beach City Council will be deciding whether to renew the Science Center's lease at its September 8 meeting. If the City Council chooses not to renew our lease, we will be given 18 months to relocate. It is likely that the City may offer us another of their properties, but there is no guarantee that the location would be beneficial to the Science Center or that the Science Center could afford an increased rent.

We believe that the Science Center is an asset to downtown Fort Walton Beach and that it would be a mistake for the City Council to move us to another location in Fort Walton Beach. We attract thousands of visitors to the downtown area each year. Our location is convenient for visitors coming east and west on 98 as well as down 85. Our location on the Landing also allows for schools to have wonderful field trips where they visit the museum and have lunch on the Landing.

Regardless of the City’s decision, the Science Center will continue to provide school programs. If we are asked to move, we will begin a search process to find the best location in Okaloosa County.

The Emerald Coast Science Center encourages you to contact our commissioners at the email addresses below and tell them you support the Science Center and its location on the Landing. If possible, we also need as many supporters as possible to attend the 6 p.m. meeting on September 8th, in the City offices located at 107 Miracle Strip Pkwy SW, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548.

Please send the following message in your email:

I am sending this email to you as a supporter of the Emerald Coast Science Center and to tell you I am in favor of the Emerald Coast Science Center remaining in its current location on the Fort Walton Beach Landing. The Science Center provides important services to our community and helps draw thousands of visitors each year to downtown Fort Walton Beach. The low-cost lease the City has given the Center has allowed the Center to serve our community well. I hope that you, our commissioners, will support our community and the Science Center, renew the Science Center's low-cost lease, and allow the Science Center to remain on the Landing.

Here are the email addresses:
Mike Anderson, Mayor: fwbmayor@fwb.org
Mike Holmes: mholmes@fwb.org
Virgil Miller: vmiller@fwb.org
Dennis Reeves: dreeves@fwb.org
Bill Garvie; bgarvie@fwb.org
Bobby Nabors: bnabors@fwb.org
Bill Patterson: bpatterson@fwb.org
Dick Rynearson: drynearson@fwb.org

If you’d like, please copy the Science Center on your email, so we will have a record of how many were sent, and give us some foundation for our statement to be made at the meeting on September 8th. We apologize for the short notice; we only just learned of the meeting date ourselves.

Thank you for your continuing support of the Emerald Coast Science Center!

Respectfully,
Jamie LaFollette
Executive Director
Emerald Coast Science Center

[sunspotbaby]

Looks like there is a lot to do at the Science Center and I never knew it was there. Thanks for posting this.