Second phase started

The Crystal Cove Alliance has started the second phase of renovation for the Crystal Cove Historic District.

The restoration, set to finish in June 2011, will repair the entryway garage and seven of the coastal cottages dating from the 1920s and 1930s. The cottage on the southernmost end of the beach, which was used in the film “Beaches,” will become a museum for the district.

More of the beachside cottages will be available for public rentals once the project is complete.

Laura Davick, director of public affairs for the Crystal Cove Alliance, is looking for donors to contribute $900,000 to restoration efforts.

“We are securing low-interest philanthropic loans to complete the rest of this project,” Davick said. “By that I mean, if there’s some angel out there in the community that thinks they would like to contribute, we are able to negotiate a low-interest loan to the tune of $900,000, which will complete that particular cottage.”

Four of the cottages in the center of the district will be converted into an educational “commons.” Davick said the whole outdoor garden of this area will be used for talks and lectures.

“We’re following the preservation of public use plan that sets forth the various uses and types of educational programs that are envisioned for the area,” Davick said. “And we’re now sitting down and fine-tuning how that will look now that this restoration has begun.”

The two entryway cottages will also be renovated. The garages next to these cottages will include laundry facilities and a prep kitchen for catering services.

The Crystal Cove Alliance has raised about $4.7 million for the project from private donors, major grants and low-interest loans. California State Parks is partnering with the Alliance to manage the second phase with Camco Pacific Construction Co.

Davick is glad they are finally finishing the central area of the district.

“Once the educational commons has been completed and we’re able to provide free public programs and great educational programs to be involved in, I think they’re going to gain a better appreciation for the many unique aspects to Crystal Cove’s history,” Davick said. “Not only the history, but it provides us with much needed venues so that we can educate the public about not only the importance of preserving our natural resources, our cultural resources, but also the history of Crystal Cove here.”

The third and final phase of the district restoration will renovate 17 cottages on the northern side of the park’s coast. The Crystal Cove Alliance has not set a completion date for this final stage.

For more information about the cottages, visit www.crystalcovealliance.org.