Giving History New Life
- Natural Lands
- Villanova, PA
- 17,000 sq. ft.
Client Objectives
The Haas family donated their 39-acre Stoneleigh Estate and adjoining 2.7-acre Bodine property to Natural Lands to fulfill their parents’ wish that the family estate be repurposed for institutional use.Natural Lands engaged Cresa to manage the restoration and conversion of the Haas family’s estate building and surrounding grounds into a library, archive, office, and public-use facility. As part of the engagement, Cresa also developed a 200-year life-cycle cost analysis to support long-term planning and stewardship of the property.
Results
Cresa managed project planning, budgeting, and stakeholder coordination throughout the project. A key focus was maintaining a clear distinction between Natural Lands’ base building costs and the tenant-funded costs associated with the Organ Historical Society (OHS), including detailed budget management and support in securing New Market Tax Credits.
Working closely with Natural Lands and OHS, Cresa evaluated the mansion’s spaces to identify the most appropriate locations for archives, collections, and a pipe organ installation. Through this planning process, Cresa recommended relocating the archives to the third floor and limiting undercutting to the area required for the organ pipes. This approach reduced project costs by more than $400,000 while preserving the project’s programmatic goals.
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