Children’s Science Center Slated for Loudoun’s Route 28 Corridor
The Children’s Science Center Museum, a recognized leader in STEM education for preschool and school-aged children in Northern Virginia, announced their selection of Loudoun County for the site of their permanent museum. The museum’s future location will be in Kincora, an approved mixed-use development at the intersection of Routes 28 and 7. CSC plans to build a 50,000 square-foot facility with 33,000 square feet dedicated to interactive exhibit areas and active visitor space. In addition to hands-on, experiential learning exhibits and activities, the center will offer 240 classes per year for children ages 1-19. The center is expected to bring an estimated 300,000-plus visitors a year into Loudoun County and will be the only full-scale, interactive STEM-focused children’s museum within the D.C. metro area.
“I am extremely pleased that the Children’s Science Center has selected Loudoun County for their flagship museum,” said the Chairman of the Loudoun Board of Supervisors Scott K. York. “The CSC will be an excellent cultural, family and educational asset to the county and the region, and we look forward to our participation in the museum’s success in the years to come.”
The construction of the museum, at an estimated investment of $40 million, will bring 32 full-time and 11 part-time jobs to the county and further expand the offering of extracurricular activities for Loudoun’s school-aged children. The center’s location at Kincora will create a civic and cultural focus to the pedestrian-friendly development where visitors to the museum will also be able to walk to neighborhood restaurants and shops. They will also have access to the 165-acre Kincora park, which will include a wetlands overlook and a Broad Run linear trail. In recognition of these benefits, the Loudoun Board approved a $250,000 grant to the CSC consisting of building fee waivers and cash that will help offset costs of the museum’s first two years of operation. The grant will be provided subsequent to CSC raising their necessary capital construction costs.
“I would like to commend this Board of Supervisors for their ongoing support of a project that is in line with both our educational and economic development goals,” Chairman York said. “The return on the investment made by the county will be broad and far-reaching. The Children’s Science Center will impact hundreds of thousands of young minds a year.”
“The Children’s Science Center focuses on educating children in science, technology, engineering and mathematics – the four foundations of Loudoun’s cutting-edge, technology-driven economy,” explained Loudoun Economic Development Director Buddy Rizer.
CSC is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that has been in operation since 2004 serving thousands of children from a range of socio-economic strata. The organization’s mobile lab, Museum Without Walls, has visited D.C. and Northern Virginia high schools since 2010, reaching more than 15,000 children in 2013 alone. For more details about the CSC, go to www.childsci.org. Other organizations and companies interested in locating in Loudoun can call 1-(800)-LOUDOUN or view available land and properties at biz.loudoun.gov.