| In
2001, he
University of New Hampshire (UNH) received a $13,953,300 federal grant from the
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the construction of a marine research
laboratory and pier. The intended site for both the pier and
laboratory was initially a 5-acre, former U.S. Coast Guard parcel of land located on
Fort Point in New Castle, New Hampshire; property now owned by the
university.
However, a decision by the New Hampshire Division
of Historical Resources, regarding preservation of on-site historic structures, effectively
precluded construction of the research laboratory on that parcel. Plans
then evolved that called for a pier (175 feet shorter than
the existing former USCG pier being replaced) and associated support
building on the New Castle property, and a marine research and education
facility adjacent to the Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point State Park in nearby
Rye.
Now, however, due primarily to significant
construction cost escalation that has occurred since receipt of the NOAA
grant, the university no longer has
the resources to pursue construction of the envisioned marine laboratory
on the Seacoast. Instead, the university will complete the pier
facility on its New Castle property, and will explore using the remaining
funds from the NOAA grant to meet other longstanding and high priority
marine laboratory needs on campus and at other existing UNH facilities.
Click here for a related press release.
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