SEASIDE — After surpassing a 30-year milestone, this South Walton County community is taking another step in its build-out with construction of the Academic Village.
The Village will be built across from the first two Seaside Neighborhood School buildings in the Lyceum. It will be used by visiting artists, architects and scholars who visit to present a course study or to attend a seminar.
The Village will have seven buildings brought in from Mississippi that were used for emergency housing following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The buildings are being renovated to look like cottages that will fit in with Seaside’s existing architecture.
The buildings will be able to house and sleep up to 14 people. The “dorm” cottages will have four twin beds, a shared bath and are priced inexpensively. One-bedroom cottages are priced at the higher end.
The buildings will be arranged to form an enclosure that will create a courtyard conducive for outdoor meals and talks. There will be a commercial-grade kitchen and outside shower. A large boardwalk will also be built to serve as additional outdoor space.
The buildings will be moved to the Lyceum space by crane next week.
The Academic Village cottages are to be used in conjunction with Seaside Institute programming, and cannot be rented to the public. Students may only pay $25 or $30 per night when coming with their universities.
The buildings became available two years ago, and Seaside founder Robert Davis and the Institute thought it was an excellent opportunity.
“It has been difficult to hold lectures, etc., in Seaside due to the housing situation,” Dorney said. “We bring students in regularly, and having this space will make it easier for us to work with universities.”
The Davis Family Foundation purchased the cottages and donated them to the Seaside Institute, which then began raising money for the renovations. So far, $112,000 has been raised through sponsorships, but $150,000 is needed. Sponsors will get their names on a cottage and other benefits, Dorney said. So far, four-and-a-half sponsorships have been sold.
“They are small but charming quarters complete with a bed, small dresser, desk with chair, and bathrooms will have modern fixtures,” she said. “We will provide linens in most cases, but we may have the students bring their own bedding to cut down on their costs. We want this to be affordable housing because it is tied to programming, but I think that people will love them when they see them.”
Renovations are scheduled to be finished by the end of April. Classes are scheduled during May with visiting artists and architects who can stay in the Village.
Future plans for the Lyceum also include a performing arts center.
TO LEARN MORE: For more information, go to www.seasideacademicvillage.com and click “info” for a description of the housing and the costs.