Concrete has been poured at the site of the new Marion County Animal Shelter, which should be fully constructed by the end of the year.
On Wednesday, the county shared a brief update and photos of the progress at its new animal shelter, which will be situated at 6405 West Highway 40 in Ocala, near the Ocala International Airport.
“Progress is going strong on the new Marion County Animal Services facility,” reads a statement from the county. Ground was broken at the site last October.
According to the county, all of the concrete building pads have been poured at the site, and several tilt wall panels have been completed. Construction crews plan to start raising panels by the end of this month, beginning with the new kennel structure at the site.
The county says it is coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration and the airport to ensure that “all high-elevation work is safely scheduled.”
New renderings were also shared by the county on Wednesday, showing the modern look sought for the facility, which will replace the county’s old animal shelter at 5701 SE 66th Street in Ocala.
The multi-building shelter will feature larger kennels and multiple play areas that will all serve for enrichment of animals, training, and playgroups.
In total, the land area for the shelter will increase ten-fold, from 2 acres to 20 acres.
The building space will increase from just over 21,000 square feet in the current shelter to over 37,000 square feet in the new facility.
The clinical area will expand from 144 square feet to 2,017 square feet, and the $22 million project also calls for an expanded surgical suite.
The county first began researching a new location for an animal shelter in 2021, as renovation of the old facility became “impractical.” After evaluating multiple county-owned properties, including Coehadjoe Park, the county determined that none of the sites could support the demands of a modern shelter with room for future expansion.
In 2022, a 137-acre farm in Citra that was no longer in operation was donated by a landowner. Last year, the landowner offered several alternative properties within Marion County as potential sites for the new animal shelter.
After a review of several sites, the county determined that the 20-acre parcel located in west Ocala was the best spot to construct the new facility.
The county is hoping to complete construction of the new facility by December.