"We'll all grieve over it," said Wayne Wood, founder of Riverside Avondale Preservation, referring to the decision to demolish the Women's Club at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens.
The reason for the demolition? Termites.
Every year in the U.S., termite damage causes around $30 billion in damage to man-made structures. The loss of a recent $7 million investment into the Cummer Museum Women's Club is no exception.
The termite infestation was discovered eight months ago in the Cummer Museum and solutions were sought the entire time. After failing to come up with feasible options, the decision had to be made. The museum -- after being established in 1961 -- could not be saved and the Women's Club must be demolished.
According to The Florida Times Union, Cummer board chairman Ryan Schwartz did everything he could to handle the issue and minimize the termite damage, but nothing could be done.
"After working for months with pest control professionals, engineers and architects, as well as well-regarded scientists and entomologists," Schwartz stated, "we have concluded that the millions of dollars and exhaustive and unprecedented efforts it would take to eradicate the termites, with no guarantee of success, is neither feasible nor prudent for a nonprofit organization where financial sustainability is a core objective for our business."
The Cummer board recently voted unanimously to raise more money to begin working on a design for a new Women's Club building.
Although termite damage can have extreme costly effects on large organizations, the residential effects can be just as stressful.
Every year, termites hide in backyards, decks, and logs, and damage approximately 600,000 homes in the United States. The damage caused by these pests results in an estimated loss of $5 billion annually.
Working with professional exterminators who are experienced in pest control can help prevent major damage to your home or property. It's important to be proactive when it comes to pest control. Taking steps to prevent these damages before they happen can save you from an extremely stressful and expensive few weeks.
If you're in the area and need quality termite care, contact us today for the best termite control Tallahassee has to offer!