Jewett Construction contracted by the Center for Wildlife to build a new, 16,000 s/f wildlife medical clinic and visitor center

York, ME Continuing a long history of building non-profits in New England, Jewett Construction of Raymond, NH has been contracted by the Center for Wildlife to build a new, 16,000 s/f wildlife medical clinic and visitor center. The project, which has been many years in the making, is an effort to provide adequate space for environmental education and wildlife rehabilitation and conservation education at the center. Construction is contingent on capital campaign efforts which are currently underway in the quiet leadership phase, with just over $1 million raised to date.

The new facility is being designed by longtime Center for Wildlife supporter McHenry Architects of Portsmouth, and civil engineering services by Ambit Engineering, also of Portsmouth. The two-story facility will feature an expanded wildlife medical clinic, classroom and conference spaces, a nature discovery center, and indoor/outdoor gathering spaces. Construction will include a focus on conservation and sustainability, with plans to include solar energy, rainwater collection, and the use of energy efficient and low maintenance building materials. 

Center for Wildlife development director, Emma Balina, has spearheaded fundraising efforts and has been involved in the general contractor selection process, “When we met Craig and Eric from Jewett Construction, we knew that they immediately got it. They care about our mission and are committed to our vision of becoming a community hub for nature education and wildlife conservation.” 

Executive director Kristen Lamb said, “Our current Center is a 1,200 donated ranch house. It is inefficient, expensive to maintain, and is preventing us from adequately meeting the demands of the public in both wildlife care and education. We are leaders in our field and offer a broad array of community services, but you would never know that from our current facility and campus.” Individuals or businesses who are interested in supporting the project or would like information about the campaign or naming opportunities can reach out to Emma Balina at emma@thecenterforwildlife.org. 

Jewett Construction has a long history of building community-based facilities for New England non-profits including Camp Carpenter for the Boy Scouts of America, the Exeter Area YMCA, The White Mountain Administrative Complex in Campton, NH and The Monarch School of New England in Rochester, NH. “We’re thrilled to be on board for such a tremendous project,” said Craig Jewett, president of Jewett Construction. “The Center for Wildlife team works so hard to help these animals in need. When our staff have the opportunity to be a part of a non-profit project like this, they never forget it.”