Rose Johnson, actionnews5.com
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Memphis Botanic Gardens Board of Directors has approved a new Youth Education and Tropical Plants Glass House to be built.
This will be the second project undertaken as part of the Garden’s $5 million Rooted and Cherry capital campaign.
“Our fundraising efforts have now surpassed 67% of our $5M goal, giving us the confidence to move forward on this next project,” said Michael D. Allen, Executive Director of the Memphis Botanic Garden.
The $2.2 million facility with a 3,400-square-foot structure, which will be positioned precisely along Cherry Road just west of the Canale Rose Garden, will begin construction in April.
“Today we work with about 40,000 school children annually from across the Memphis metropolitan area, and we hope to grow this by 30% to 52,000 kids in the years to come,” said Allen.
This project also includes an outdoor classroom, a horticultural prep house, and a large event patio. The major purpose of this project is to significantly expand the Garden’s youth education programs while also providing a new, accessible home for the collection of tropical plants.
