Community Spotlight: Willis Smith Construction Awarded Nature Center at Historic Celery Fields

LAKEWOOD RANCH – Willis Smith Construction was recently awarded the contract for construction of a new visitor and nature center on the historic 440+ acres of Sarasota's Celery Fields for the Sarasota Audubon Society. The $1 million visitor center will serve as an urban bird sanctuary to promote ecotourism to Florida. The site features a count of 217 species of birds out of 300 recorded in the entire county.

The visitor center will also serve children and students alike within the local community through expanded environmental education programs. The project is expected to begin in the fall of 2014 and will involve 2500 square feet of new construction and a large covered patio for teaching and observing purposes. Construction of the Center will seek LEED-NC certification. Carlson Studio Architecture will be the architect.

Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc. is a construction management firm headquartered in Lakewood Ranch, primarily serving Southwest Florida since 1972. The company has a longstanding reputation for superior construction and offers its clients particular expertise in the areas of commercial, industrial, education, healthcare, museum specialty work and sustainable construction. Willis A. Smith Construction serves to promote excellence and integrity in the construction industry while contributing to the betterment of our clients and the communities we serve.