Though the St. Francis Retreat must raise another $1 million or so to fund rebuilding of the main structure destroyed nearly two years ago by fire, project organizers have broken ground on the new building that's set to emphasize environmental sustainability, a central Franciscan value.
They have raised about $5 million of the $6 million cost, including $3.2 million from insurance coverage, St. Francis Retreat Business Manager Ed DeGroot said. Still, that didn't stop them from holding a ceremonial groundbreaking June 1 at the 549 Mission Vineyard Road retreat.
Organizers expect to kick off a second round of fundraising soon as the building plans currently are heading through a county review, DeGroot said.
"I'd like to note the public support we've had, and locally, people still refer to this as their retreat house," he said.
Fire destroyed the Flint-Bixby Ranch House on June 23. Authorities suspected faulty electrical wiring caused the blaze, which also consumed hundreds of artifacts.
The new building first was set for two stories, but project leaders decided on one story because the San Andreas Fault runs through the site.
It's set to once again act as the main building at the retreat and will include an administration center, gift shop, conference room and food services, he said. It won't, however, include the Friary where the retreat's friars had lived.
The five friars - there were seven at the time of the fire - now live at the site's La Casita, or "the little house," something DeGroot said the retreat plans to address "down the line."
The new building replacing the 150-year-old ranch house will carry a "mission sense" with a stucco California style, including a plaster exterior and tile, he said.
DeGroot particularly noted the project's environmentally friendly focus with such features as using radiant heat in the dining area, natural ventillation and building 2,100 square feet of space to be used for solar panels - which they intend to install later.
There will be an "openness" to the courtyard and ramps that are in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to a St. Francis Retreat newsletter.
"It's a strong Franciscan value," DeGroot said. "You think of St. Francis, you think of birds and critters. He was one of the first to start thinking of being one with nature."
It doesn't hurt that a residing friar - Brother Keith Warner - teaches about sustainability at Stanford University, he said. Warner will return in six weeks from Europe, where he's studying natural agents for pest control.
Kollin Kosmicki Kollin Kosmicki is editor of the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 337 or editor@freelancenews.com.
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