(Wahpeton)– Construction continues on the new $6.4 million Innovation and Discovery laboratory at Lakeside Lab on the west side of West Lake Okoboji. Executive Director Mary Skopec says the new year-round facility will further enhance the offerings at Lakeside Lab…
“It’s a multi-purpose classroom so we can have community groups in there or school groups in there. And then in addition, there’s a large laboratory space that allows students to be in there doing research or taking classes on water quality and chemistry. It really advances how much indoor year-round space that we have here at the lab.”
She says construction has made good progress so far this summer…
“Really got started in earnest in May. We’re hoping we’ll be done by October, November. The weather has finally been in our favor. It was kind of sketchy there early this spring but things are going really well right now.”
Skopec adds the project has been long overdue…
“You know, the Waitt Lab was built in 1998 and we haven’t built any additional classroom space since then. And as we’re super busy year-round, 2,500 K-12 students comin through our doors every year, we think this new building is going to allow us to double or triple the number of students that can be here enjoying Lakeside, enjoying Okoboji and learning about nature and science.”
Funding for the project is coming from the state of Iowa and private donors.
