PORT CANAVERAL — Port Canaveral officials are urging the public during the next several months to visit a special observation desk in the Cove area and watch the construction of a $16 million-plus welcome center.
That’s to see the the outside progress.
The center’s designers offered the public a view of what’s going on inside the center — seven floors showcasing the Brevard County’s ecological jewels, its relationship with the space industry, boating and surfing and a maritime history going back 12,000 years.
On the top floor will be an observation deck where people can watch cruise and cargo ships enter the port as well as capture breathtaking views of the Space Coast.
“I’m very excited,” said Stefanie Mattia, group sales coordinator for Courtyard by Marriott in Cocoa Beach and chairwoman of the Port Canaveral Association.
“I’ve been out here for more than 15 years and to see a plan like this in the Cove come to fruition is just wonderful,” Mattia said.
“I think it’s exciting, not only for the cruise passengers but Central Floridians as well,” said Keith Smith, marina master for Bluepoints Marina in the port. “This is really good stuff.”
The welcome center, located on Port Canaveral’s south side near the entertainment district known as “the Cove,” is being designed as a modernistic attraction that attracts visitors who may be waiting for a cruise to depart, but also act as a Brevard showcase for tourists.
One floor of the center also will be available for conferences and social events.
The center’s scheduled opening, July 2013, is meant to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon's landing on Florida's coast. Some historians believe he may have landed near Melbourne Beach.
At one of two public meetings to review the welcome center, the project’s designer, Jan Faulkner of Haley Sharpe Design, discussed plans for each of the seven floors and the intention to use local artists, photographs and exhibitions to promote the area’s history and present.
Another group of individuals are fast-tracking the development of state-of-the-art interactive exhibits. In total, they predict about $2.5 million in exhibits at the center.
And the open-air observation desk, with views of the ocean, the port, the space center and other attractions is meant to serve as a tourism brochure of sorts.
“It’s going to be a springboard to go out and explore the area,” Faulkner said of the expansive views of Brevard that will be visible from the deck.
Sindy Smith, manager of the Cove Marketplace, said the welcome center and the visitors it will attract means the vendor market, located next to the structure, likely will go from a seasonal operation to one that’s open year round.
“I’m very excited,” Smith said. “It definitely means more employment, more opportunity and more new beginnings.”
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