After breaking ground in mid-March on a visitors center for Lehigh Portland State Park, crews were eager to hit the ground running.
Their goal, to have the visitors center complete by fall, remains viable, but Mother Nature may have a say in it.
In the 3½ months since construction started, crews have lost 39 work days due to rainy weather.
Despite the delays, the hopes remain in place to have the center finished by fall, reported Lisse Regehr, chief executive officer of Thrive Allen County, which keeps in touch with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks on the project’s progress.
The 6,000 square-foot visitors center — one of the largest in the state park system — will include a community room capable of holding crowds of up to 300 people, meeting rooms, kitchen and restroom facilities, and a deck offering an overview of the Lehigh Portland Lake.
Meanwhile, work continues on infrastructure for 40 or so RV parking spots, another campground area, and finally clearing a route to connect the south end of the park to the existing trails.
