Plans to reopen the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge's Visitor Center that has been shut down for two years would shrink the facility's footprint by roughly half. Looking over 6,000 acres of prairie, the 45,000-square-foot visitor center would undergo a $7 million renovation after sustaining severe damage from a hailstorm in 2024. "Thousands of holes" punctured the visitor center's roof, causing flooding throughout the building, said Nancy Corona, visitor services manager for Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge. After cleaning and mitigation, employees still work out of the office space in the center and have continued programing at the refuge. But public access inside the visitor center won't be possible until the building is fully rehabilitated, she said. Tap the link in our bio for more on this story. #Iowa #nealsmith #wildliferefuge