The Lake Champlain Basin Science Center is a nonprofit corporation formed
from a partnership of the City, the University of Vermont and the general
public. Nearly a decade in the making, the Science Center opened its doors to
the public on July 29, 1995 in order to educate visitors of all ages about the
history, culture, and ecology of the Lake Champlain basin. The Center plays an
important role in increasing public understanding of the watershed and teaching
residents about stewardship for the environment.
In addition to serving residents and visitors, the Science Center offers
subsidized programming to area schools, youth and family centers, and other
service agencies. Through 1997, over 70,000 people had visited the Center to
learn through hands-on exhibits, programs and demonstrations. The Science Center
is also a project of the City’s Enterprise
Community, serving as a job training and employment initiative for
Burlington’s under-served teens and a resource for Burlington’s schools.
Through a planned three-phase, $11.5 million facility construction project,
the Science Center has become a flagship project in the development of a
year-round Waterfront. Expansion of the facility, which has already begun, is to
be completed in 2001
Conversion of the former US Navy Reserve facility into exhibits and
learning spaces.
Construction of the $3.5 million Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Lab, which
will bring world class research scientists studying Lake Champlain to the
Center and interacting with members of the general public.
Replacement of the existing inadequate facility with a new 40,000 square
foot lake education center and attraction.
In addition to meeting programmatic goals, the buildout of the Science Center
will provide:
- Broad public access to the lakeshore.
- Space for relocation of the Bikepath to the west side of the railroad
right-of-way between College and King Streets.
- Consideration of and integration with neighboring properties—Lake
Champlain Transportation Company and the Boathouse Marina.
The Lake Champlain Basin Science Center is fast becoming a major attraction
and may, eventually, provide a draw to Burlington on a scale with Church Street.
With its focus on the ecology of the Lake Champlain watershed, the Center holds
great potential to increase heritage tourism in the area. A Naval Memorial will
be built on the grounds of the Science Center. And the Lake Champlain Maritime
Museum has plans to bring to the Center a life-size working replica of one of
the ships that navigated the Lake more than a century ago. Plans also include
linkages to museums and attractions in New York and Quebec, and participation in
cultural heritage trails encompassing the Lake Champlain corridor.
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