Discovery Place Nature

Mecklenburg County and Discovery Place are partnering to develop the new Discovery Place Nature on the site of the current facility. This new facility will instill environmental awareness and increase science literacy in our community. The project will include a new nature center, associated parking, and programming and improvements within the approximately 8-acre site within Freedom Park. Additional experiences envisioned for the new Discovery Place Nature include nature trails, a canopy walk, demonstration pavilions, forest moments, and creek interactions, among other similar elements.

Project updates will be posted here periodically. Sign up below for notifications for this project.

PROJECT UPDATES

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.

Discovery Place Nature- from Bridge