Groundbreaking set for $55 million N.C. History and Education Center

Tryon Palace Historic Sites and Gardens plans to break ground June 20 for the North Carolina History and Education Center. The center is planned to be the state's first certified "green" building.

Construction of the project is set to begin in mid-July and be completed by September 2009 at an estimated cost of about $55 million, said Kay Williams, director. State testing will take a couple of months and then staff members will add the exhibits from December to March for a planned opening April 8, 2010.

"We're starting to get serious about this," Williams said. "It is very exciting."

The center will be at the corner of South Front and Metcalf streets. It has been in the works for more than a decade. The center is designed as a "green building" for energy efficiency and environmental compatibility.

The Raleigh construction company of Clancy and Thays was hired in October 2007 to be the "contractor at risk" for the center. This is a new way the state is doing business, which lets one entity manage the entire project and all subcontractors, Williams said. The final guarantee to the state of total project cost is still being estimated and is expected soon.

The center's design incorporates permeable parking lot surfaces, cisterns for capturing stormwater runoff for reuse in irrigation, and target ranges for efficiency for all mechanical and electrical equipment that is all calibrated together, she said. Recycled materials will also be used in many parts of the construction.

"We are applying for a silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating and will be the first state of North Carolina certified green building," Williams said. "Right now state government has no designated LEED building."

Williams met with Tryon Palace Commission members and a group of business leaders last week for an annual update on the project. Tryon Palace Council of Friends President David Ward, Palace Commission President Bob Mattocks, and Cheryl Kite, development director, walked the aisles of the palace auditorium during the gathering, which included key contributors and supporters.

Ward talked about what a major economic driver the new center will be for the area and the effect the center will have on small business and as a spur to tourism.

"We are excited about beginning the public fund-raising campaign for this project," said Williams. "In the silent phase we were looking for really big gifts and were quite successful but this building belongs to the people and there will be a lot more public activity around the fund-raising effort now."

"We plan to have a campaign to let children participate and have various opportunities for naming things," she said. "We will come out with those details on June 20."