Botanica to replace pavilion with enclosable structure

The pavilion at Botanica — a wooden structure dating from its early days at the highest point in the gardens — will be removed to make way for a steel structure with glass overhead doors as walls that can be opened or closed, Botanica’s director said Thursday.

The pavilion could come down as early as Thursday, director Marty Miller said. The deck will remain, and part of it will remain uncovered, he said.

“You have the best views from there,” Miller said of the pavilion location. “I can kind of consider that as the premium real estate.” But because it’s so exposed to the elements, it doesn’t always get used, he said.

Enclosing it under a steel roof will allow for year-round rentals, and also will make it a station for hot drinks during Botanica’s holiday Illuminations event. The plan is that people will be able to warm up in the new structure while still being able to see the lights in the gardens, Miller said. It will have some heating in the winter and fans running in the summer, he said.

Botanica’s board of trustees approved the plan Wednesday, said president Steve English. The project also will include new restrooms down the hill toward the Downing Children’s Garden. The whole project will cost $260,000, and the money will come from a past donation from Boeing, Miller said.

When the new structure is not being rented, it will be open to all Botanica visitors.

“It’ll basically be a roof cover rather than three separate pods,” Miller said of the new structure vs. the design of the pavilion. He said the frame of the new structure will be white, and the roof will be white or silver.

As far as the old pavilion, “our goal is to get it down as soon as possible,” Miller said. He would like to see the new structure finished by the Bootanica fund raiser in October.

Meanwhile, a new library and coffee bar that was supposed to open at Botanica in June is not yet ready. It is mainly waiting on coffee-bar equipment, Miller said, and he’s not sure when it will open.

This story was originally published July 23, 2015 at 11:18 AM with the headline "Botanica to replace pavilion with enclosable structure."