GEO-DC Committed to Sustainability

Submitted.

As with many old buildings, the presence of asbestos was discovered in the Greater Escarpment Organization of Door County’s (GEO-DC) Discovery Center site, halting the group’s plans to restore the 50- to 60-year-old building.

GEO-DC purchased the Ellison Bay property in 2017 knowing that the building had a number of issues, including mold, a leaky roof, winterization needs and the need for a great deal of cleaning. But the location of the site, with its superior view of the Niagara Escarpment and the waters of Green Bay, was meant to greatly support its educational mission.

Volunteer workers donned respirators and gloves and took up crowbars, hammers and shovels to begin the demolition phase and address the structural issues and mold. While doing so, they discovered not only the asbestos, but also that the construction was not up to code.

Amber Beard, GEO-DC’s LEED-certified general contractor, conducted a detailed inventory of what would be needed to fix the issues and the associated estimated costs. The dollar figure rapidly rose to the point where GEO-DC’s board began to consider demolition and new construction versus remediation and remodeling.

“Fortunately, a lot of what was put into the building was sweat equity – a lot of hard work by the volunteers,” Chair Nancy Goss said, “and very little financial investment while we were saving for some of the big-ticket items like two ADA bathrooms.”

Considering the cost to continue the restoration, GEO-DC has instead developed plans to construct a new building. 

The organization has a commitment to sustainability, so it has invited the Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department to use the existing structure for training, and Habitat for Humanity to salvage reusable materials such as windows, flooring, light fixtures, shelving, toilets and even the EXIT sign before the fire department begins its training.

“It’s sort of like an organ donor in a housing-type situation,” Goss said. “Somebody gets this; somebody gets that.”

The asbestos must be removed before fire training can begin, and GEO-DC is grateful to the Firefighters’ Association for donating funds toward its removal.

In a press release issued by GEO-DC, Fire Chief Chris Hecht said the department is fortunate to have received the donation of the building.

“The fire department has had limited accessibility to surplus structures to use for training, and this building will provide a unique opportunity,” Hecht said. “Members of the department will be using the building for real-world training, including live fire training that will provide experience in flow path control, ventilation, a variety of search-and-rescue techniques and fire suppression.”

Members of the fire department hope to use the building from late this winter through late spring, depending on weather conditions and the overall need for the complete removal of the building.

New construction will allow GEO-DC to reposition the structure more efficiently on the small lot, allowing for more parking and even better views of the Niagara Escarpment and the waters of Green Bay. It will also allow the group to start small and build in stages to accommodate needs and growth, Goss said. The final plus is that GEO-DC will be designing a building to fit its planned exhibits instead of shoehorning exhibits into an existing space.