A long-planned nature center in Louisville's Shawnee Park is planned for 4501 West Broadway. The Shawnee Outdoor Learning Center is envisioned as a two-story hub for environmental education.
Louisville Parks and Recreation solicited bids for the center earlier this year, according to highergov.com, which lists RFP260232 as issued April 21, with proposals due by May 27.
A Two-Story Building Designed to Ride Out Floods
The design reflects the realities of building along the Ohio River. The two-story nature center extends over the floodplain on piers engineered to handle rising river levels. The site plan also calls for adjoining gardens, nature play areas and outdoor classrooms meant to serve both school groups and casual visitors.
Once complete, the building is intended to serve as a home base for Louisville is Engaging Children Outdoors, known as ECHO, as well as a shared gathering space for the surrounding community, according to Wilderness Louisville.
Funding Pieced Together From City, State and Private Sources
Getting to this point required stitching together money from multiple levels of government. The center was awarded $1 million in the city's budget, Louisville Parks and Recreation has confirmed through WLKY's reporting on the allocation. The finalized Kentucky state budget separately set aside $7 million for the project, as reported by WHAS11 in its coverage of state spending on Louisville projects.
Wilderness Louisville says $10.5 million was raised to construct the center.
More Than a Decade in the Making
Wilderness Louisville describes the center as the culmination of more than a decade of work by Wilderness Louisville itself, Louisville Parks and Recreation's Natural Areas Division, and the West Louisville Outdoor Recreation Community Council.
The facility is intended to serve as a home base for Louisville ECHO.
Part of a Bigger Push for Nature Access in West Louisville
Nature Education in West Louisville The Shawnee Outdoor Learning Center is a planned environmental education facility in West Louisville.
The sustainability goals for the new building itself are ambitious, with a target of LEED Platinum certification and plans for geothermal wells, photovoltaic panels, LED lighting and graywater harvesting systems.
