Academic Village cottages to be removed from Seaside Friday

A group of Katrina Cottages in Seaside will be moving out of the community and on to new things.

Representatives from the Seaside Institute say the group will over see the removal of the Academic Village cottages. They say this has been an area for students of all ages to learn, study, collaborate, and reflect for more than seven years. The cottages have recently been sold and will be moved out of Seaside Friday.

Representatives say the Seaside Institute's Academic Village was completed in August 2013. The purpose of the village was to provide much-needed affordable housing for students, faculty, and professionals who travel to Seaside to study or participates in the community's civic and cultural events.

The Academic Village is located right in the middle of Seaside.

“I will miss the Katrina Cottages,” Robert Davis, co-founder of Seaside, said.

The village included several repurposed Katrina Cottages, two large boardwalks, and a 3,000 square foot courtyard.

“The Academic Village was a splendid place for receptions and served well as housing for people coming to Seaside for symposia and seminars,” Davis said.

When the sponsorships of the cottages ended, Seaside Institute sold the cottages to a private group of investors, who say they intend to repurpose them.

“They are moving a few miles away and will have yet another life after serving as post disaster emergency housing after Hurricane Katrina (humane and elegant substitutes for FEMA trailers) and as student housing in Seaside. Buon viaggio; buona fortuna!!,” Davis said.