Pelican Harbor Seabird Station is well positioned to break ground on an expanded wildlife hospital before the year ends, thanks to a recently acquired loan from Bank OZK.
The $4.4 million loan, secured Aug. 28, 2023, marks the last leg of fundraising needed to move forward before soil remediation and site work begin this month. The bank’s investment comes after four years of planning for a new facility, as the nonprofit has outgrown its current location on Biscayne Bay off the 79th Street Causeway.
The loan does not, however, complete the plan’s $15 million price tag, of which $1.4 million is still needed. Executive director Christopher Boykin says he and his team hope that further donations and pledges will help them to eventually pay off the bank loan as well.
(Pelican Harbor Seabird Station)
Pelican Harbor Seabird Station plans to construct a new 8,000 square-foot hospital on the Little River Preserve between Biscayne Boulevard and the I-95 corridor.
“It’s our goal to not draw down this entire $4.4 million,” he said. “It’s our hope that new foundations and donors will step up to make a contribution as we embark on the construction. Any additional raise above $1.4 (million) will reduce the amount of our line of credit with Bank OZK.”
Bank OZK was first referred to Pelican Harbor by the team over at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Palm Beach County, which is undergoing its own expansion – only they’re a few steps ahead. With a grand opening already set for Oct. 14, 2023, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary has already done its due diligence in scavenging for banks willing and able to help its cause. Most importantly, Bank OZK was the only contender that didn’t require a guarantor.
As such, Pelican Harbor Seabird Station will be the second wildlife hospital in Florida that the bank has funded in the past two years.
“Bank OZK is proud to partner with the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station to bring this much needed state-of-the-art facility to the Miami community,” said Kevin Beauparlant, Bank OZK’s senior vice president commercial banker, in a press release. “We look forward to seeing this amazing facility in action.”
Founded in 1980, Pelican Harbor Seabird Station is a hospital and rehabilitation center for injured and sick wildlife that has already treated more than 1,300 animals this year. In order to accommodate a growing demand for its services – which serve more than 100 native species – the station is planning on moving to an 8,000-square-foot hospital to be built on 2.6 acres of land at 399 NE 82nd Terrace. The nonprofit’s expansion was featured in the August 2023 edition of the Biscayne Times.