Discovery Place Nature
Discovery Place Nature
In partnership with Mecklenburg County, Discovery Place is building a new nature haven and world-class museum that will serve the Carolinas. The new Nature Museum is being developed in the heart of Freedom Park on what was once the site of Discovery Place Nature.
The new Museum will provide opportunities to explore the natural world and local ecosystem with features including nature trails and outdoor experiences like a treetop canopy walk; an owl aviary, frog bog and North American river otter habitat; interactive exhibits and a hands-on naturalist lab; and animals representing species native to the Piedmont.
The design of the new Museum also places a priority on becoming more accessible and integrated with Freedom Park through public gardens and community spaces that will be available to all park visitors. This reimagined Nature Museum for our community ensures valuable space for exploration, learning and leisure.
Project updates will be posted here on a monthly basis. Sign up below under 'Stay Connected!' for project notifications.
PROJECT UPDATES
12/20/2024 - Project Status (Ongoing WorkPlan)
Slab-on-grade work for the lower-level of the building, site wall, on-site utilities, and building foundation install will continue well into the new year. Also, earthwork/soil compaction activity is anticipated during the next few weeks in the area indicated below.
12/19/2024 - Project Status
Construction activity will take place on-site this Saturday, 12/21/24 and next Saturday, 12/28/24.
FYI,
- Discovery Place Celebrates Milestone for New Nature Museum - Discovery Place Museums
- Construction will not be conducted on the following holidays:
Thanksgiving –November 28th & 29th- Christmas – December 24th & 25th
- New Years – January 1st
12/13/2024 - Project Status (Ongoing WorkPlan)
Site wall, on-site utilities, and building foundation work will continue. For further context, see exhibit below.
12/12/2024 - Project Status
Construction activity will take place on-site this Saturday, 12/14/24.
12/06/2024 - Project Status
Steel installation has completed, and, over the next couple weeks, site wall work will commence resulting in earthwork activity from heavy construction equipment. Additionally, on-site utilities are being roughed-in, and the building foundation will continue to be waterproofed.
FYI,
- Construction activity will take place on-site this Saturday, 12/7/24.
- Construction will not be conducted on the following holidays:
Thanksgiving –November 28th & 29th- Christmas – December 24th & 25th
- New Years – January 1st
11/26/2024 - Project Status
Construction is moving along on the new Nature Center as site crews assemble, install and detail steel beams, waterproof upper-level foundation walls and complete water and fire water service lines to the building. Steel installation continues and crews soon will begin on the site walls.
FYI, construction will not be conducted on the following holidays:
- Thanksgiving –November 28th & 29th
- Christmas – December 24th & 25th
- New Years – January 1st
11/15/2024 - Project Status
It was a busy summer as crews prepared the site for building construction. Moving into fall, utility work within the right-of-way is complete. Building foundations for the Nature Center are nearly finished and the building is starting to take shape with steel being erected. During the coming weeks, steel work will be completed as progress continues on the new Nature Center.
10/10/2024 - Road Work Update
CLT Water work to connect the new museum to the public water supply will necessitate a lane closure on Sterling Road between Princeton and Wellesley Avenue beginning 10/14/24. Sterling Road will be reduced to one lane between 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, for up to two weeks. During this period, traffic control measures/personnel will be in place to facilitate the single lane traffic flow.
06/10/2024 - Site Work and Clearing
Site work beginning on or around June 10 will include the removal of certain trees from the property. During the planning process, a thorough tree survey and health assessment was conducted by certified arborists that assigned a health score to each tree on the property and determined which trees would need to be removed due to age/health.
The landscape plan includes planting more than 1,400 trees of varying sizes for forest regrowth and future generations. Additionally, some of the trees being removed will be salvaged for use at the new museum for exhibits, seating or animal habitats.
During this phase, invasive removal work and treatment against pests will also be completed for the forest’s health.
05/17/2024 - Detour/Greenway Closure Map
Little Sugar Creek Greenway between Princeton Ave. and the existing swinging bridge will close, due to construction, on or around May 17, 2024 until further notice.
05/06/2024 - Meeting Follow-Up and Other Relevant Info
On February 15, 2024, Discovery Place, along with Rodgers Builders and representatives from Mecklenburg County, hosted an informal meeting for neighbors to provide updates on the new nature museum. At the meeting neighbors were invited to share their questions regarding the project.
Below are questions about building and construction that were submitted along with answers.
Q: How will property maintenance be addressed on Sterling Road?
A: The project should not impact how the edge of the park is currently maintained. Removing debris, fallen leaves or limbs, and trimming back overgrown vegetation is a part of routine general maintenance.
Q: Once construction begins on the new parking lot, where will those who are working onsite park their vehicles?
A: There will be a shuttle to get workers to and from the job site to minimize the amount of onsite parking required. Construction of the parking lot will be phased to ensure there’s always space for shuttle parking.
Q: What are the operating/working hours on the construction site?
A: Working hours will be Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. with occasional Saturday work as needed. There will be some activities that go past 5:00 p.m., but all work will stop prior to the cut-off of 9:00 p.m., per the city’s noise ordinance.
In addition to construction-related questions, many questions received were about museum operations. At this stage of the project, the focus is on building and construction. The builders anticipate an 18-24 month construction timeline, and we will continue to provide updates along the way, especially as it pertains to major milestones. The following information * is being offered in response to operational questions submitted during the meeting:
- Museum operating hours will be 7 days a week, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
- Museum capacity is 845 indoors
- Discovery Place will comply with all city ordinances that relate to alcohol use and noise on premises
- Museum-specific programming and special events are under development
- The cost of the project, as reported in January 2024, is $62.3 million
- All required surveys and due diligence were conducted prior to building demolition and construction
*Note: operational procedures, including Museum operating dates and times, may vary throughout the year and according to programming. As we move into operational planning, we will address questions specific to operations. In addition, Discovery Place is in the early stages of forming a neighbor committee that will provide input and guide some of the operational questions.
03/08/2024 - Project Update and Other Relevant Info
Mecklenburg County and Discovery Place would like to provide community residents with an update on the progress for the new Discovery Place Nature facility in Freedom Park.
Site construction for Discovery Place Nature is anticipated to begin in early April 2024 with an anticipated construction completion and opening in Fall 2025.
Pre-construction activities are scheduled to begin this week (week of March 11) and include:
- Relocation of the Japanese Maple tree. The tree will be stored on-site during construction and transplanted on-site as construction is completed.
- Crews will be conducting preliminary utility work along Sterling Avenue as a requirement from Charlotte Water. There will be a temporary lane closure on Sterling Road to allow crews to access a nearby manhole.