Wednesday’s Easton City Council meeting included a look at the revamped plans for the Da Vinci Science City project.
“The Master Plan is to dream big,” said Jennifer Devlin-Herbert, Architect and Principal at EHDD Architecture.
For the last six months, Da Vinci has been working with a California-based architect to bring a four-story Science City to Easton.
“It’s been done in a handful of places in Cincinnati and Montreal and Nebraska in components but not in this full ecosystem context,” added Devlin-Herbert.
The “Master Plan,” revealed at Wednesday’s Easton City Council meeting, includes three themes: science and nature, science and me which is about the body, and science and technology.
The proposed budget for the 130,000 plus square foot site is $127 million and it will be located right next to City Hall.The city has already committed $30 million while the state is providing $20 million.What a great place to dream, explore and create,” said Devlin-Herbert.
The “Nature Dome” will feature exhibit halls, creativity studios to explore, classrooms and theater and event space.
City Council members were on board for the most part but did voice some concerns concerning expense.The public also had a mixed reaction to the proposal.
“I’m concerned about a sense of scale and sort of an aggressive facade that the building suggests,” said Ken Jones Jr.
“If you ask a lot of people that are in their 20s or something, minus restaurants, there is not a lot to do. I’ve been to the Crayola Experience. It’s fun but it’s for kids. This looks like it’s for everybody,” explained Kyle Dantonio.The time frame of the project is still years away.