Babcock Ranch is donating the land and contributing $7.7 million toward the project, which will have a build out time of 18 months.

“When we are invited to the table to be a part of a regional solution, we always want to step up and do that,” said Lucienne Pears, who handles economic development for Babcock Ranch.

The 75,000 square-foot facility will provide safe shelter for at least 2,500 evacuees in an area that is safe from storm surge, while filling a large deficit in shelter space across the county.

When not being used for evacuees, the building will be used as a field house. Programming for what we can expect there is still in the works.

“I think it will be interesting to see what will happen to the shelter when it’s not being used as a shelter,” said Babcock Ranch’s first homeowner Richard Kinley.

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