Scripps’ Seaweed Canyon Buildings to Get Facelift

The antiquated buildings in Seaweed Canyon on the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, located in La Jolla, CA, will be getting a facelift soon, officials for the SIO announced this week that $6.4 million in state funds will finance the renovation. Used primarily for storage and some research, the aging structures will be replaced by a series of three prefabricated metal buildings, said the SIO’s Director of Finance and Operations, Doug Bennett.

The wooden structures in Seawood Canyon were built during World War II, and authorities say that termites have nearly destroyed the structures already. The buildings will be completely demolished, making room for the new three buildings, which will provide 24,500 square feet of storage space for the SIO’s work. The renovation will also include a number of infrastructure improvements partially aimed at improving access for emergency services.

The California Coastal Commission is scheduled to vote on the proposal later this month, and is expected to approve it, though it may require certain conditions related to environmental issues. The old buildings, which account for about 15,000 square feet combined, have been used to store various equipment like buoys, nets and moorings used by scientists in their research. The project has actually been approved for state funding for several years, but SIO budgeting personnel have pushed it off for various more urgent campus concerns.