Wertheim Conservatory undergoes changes

Gerard Albert III and Gabriella Pinos/PantherNOW Staff

The Wertheim Conservatory is usually full of diverse plant-life but currently it sits across from the Red parking garage, deteriorating, condemned and unfit for student use.

The unsafe conditions include mechanical, electrical and irrigation malfunctions.

Signs posted on the Wertheim Conservatory let students know the building is closed off to students. Photo by Joshua Ceballos.

The greenhouse building behind the conservatory also suffered damage from Hurricane Irma and is undergoing repairs, according to Patrick Meagher, director of facilities management.

The building is expected to reopen in November after being closed for more than a year. Architects are currently working on designs for the
renovation of the conservatory. Once these designs are completed, a contractor will be hired to start working. There is no set date for these plans.

The Wertheim Conservatory, part of the Department of Biological Sciences at the Modesto Maidique Campus, is a three-tiered glass structure made up of two greenhouses. Since its initial planting in January 1997, it has grown and housed tropical plants such as orchids and cacao trees.

While all FIU students have access to the greenhouses, they are primarily used by faculty and students for research, classroom demonstrations and lab assignments, according to the Department of Biological Sciences website.

Photo courtesy of FIU Flickr.