The Windy City, West Coast Version
By ERIC S. PAGE
Updated 3:30 PM PST, Tue, Oct 6, 2009
Workers in North County raised an authentic Dutch windmill on Tuesday.
The structure was designed in Holland, but the Dutch have very few earthquakes, as you might imagine, so they had to redesign the structure before building it and shipping it in pieces to Meadowbrook Village on Broadway in Escondido.
Workers installed steel strapping and hardware to reinforce the structure, and used belinga hardwood from West Africa -- which is known for its density and strength -- for the windmill and windmill cap. It's not just about looks, though.
"Hopefully, we're going to try and generate a little electricity with it if we can," said Jack Brouwer, who is the president of Meadowbrook Village, a senior care facility with more than 100 units. "It's still a bit of a question, but we're working on that."
Brouwer said he was born in Holland.
"As a kid, I used to play in a windmill," Brouwer said Tuesday. "And I thought, just as a feature for the center of the little village, to put up a windmill would be appropriate."
The windmill will house a dining and kitchen area previously located in a clubhouse building on the site. The village will also have a gift shop and museum display area, among other things, in the the 13,418-square-foot windmill.
First Published: Oct 6, 2009 3:17 PM PST
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