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May 29, 2023

Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy begins construction on new home

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy will finally have its own home. Construction is underway at the 2,400 square-foot building formerly owned by the historic Wayfarers Chapel, on Palos Verdes

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy will finally have its own home.

Construction is underway at the 2,400 square-foot building formerly owned by the historic Wayfarers Chapel, on Palos Verdes Drive South in Rancho Palos Verdes.

PVPLC’s new headquarters will be housed in a building that was originally erected in the 1950s, said Adrienne Mohan, the nonprofit’s executive director. At one time, it was a 7-Eleven. Wayfarer’s Chapel purchased the building, 6118 Palos Verdes Drive South, in the 1980s and it became part of its campus as an administration office.

The PVPLC, which began in 1988, is responsible for conserving about 1,600 acres on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, including 96 recently acquired acres dedicated to a new wildlife corridor.

The new headquarters, which are expected to open early next year, is across the street from the wildlife corridor and adjacent to the Abalone Cove Reserve, Mohan said.

“It’s right next to all the work we’ll be doing to restore habitat,” Mohan said. “It makes good sense for our conservation staff and our biologists and our volunteer coordinators and team members to have a facility that’s right next to all that open space.”

The PVPLC will not run programs or nature walks from the new facility as they do from the George F Canyon Nature Center and Preserve and the White Point Nature Preserve, Mohan said.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy held a hard hat tour of its new home at 6118 Palos Verdes Drive South in Rancho Palos Verdes. The building is located across the street from the newly preserved 96-acrew wildlife corridor and alongside Abalone Cove Reserve for which the Conservancy is habitat manager. (photo courtesy of PVPLC.ORG)

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy held a hard hat tour of its new home at 6118 Palos Verdes Drive South in Rancho Palos Verdes. The building is located across the street from the newly preserved 96-acrew wildlife corridor and alongside Abalone Cove Reserve for which the Conservancy is habitat manager. (photo courtesy of PVPLC.ORG)

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy held a hard hat tour of its new home at 6118 Palos Verdes Drive South in Rancho Palos Verdes. Pictured at the Aug. 5 event is owner of Catalina View Gardens and neighbor Jim York, Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy Executive Director Adrienne Mohan, and Development Committee member Steve Tight, who is overseeing the permanent office renovation. (photo courtesy of PVPLC.ORG)

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy held a hard hat tour of its new home at 6118 Palos Verdes Drive South in Rancho Palos Verdes. Pictured at the tour on Aug. 5 is Sue and Steve Soldoff, firefighter Sean Dodd from neighboring Station 53, Amy Friend and Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy Executive Director Adrienne Mohan. (photo by Matthew Cameron)

The PVPLC launched the $30 million fundraising campaign “Go Wild for the Peninsula” last year after acquiring the 96 acres of undeveloped land, which will create a safe corridor for the Palos Verdes blue butterfly and other endangered wildlife.

For the past 15 to 20 years, Mohan said, the PVPLC has been renting space at 916 Silver Spur Road. But thanks to PVPLC board reserves, the nonprofit was able to fund $2 million to buy and renovate the new building.

“Hopefully folks driving on Palos Verdes Drive South will see it and know they can always stop and ask us questions about the preserves,” Mohan said. “It’s very exciting for the organization.”

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of October, Mohan said, and the nonprofit expects to be moved in by the end of the year for an early 2024 opening.

“We’re really happy to be working with our pro bono architect partners Gensler architects,” Mohan said. “They have lent their services to us to help reimagine the layout to optimize it for our staff teams and to provide meeting space for volunteer trainings and students and researchers.”

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