Randall's Island Park breaks ground on snazzy $6 million nature center, which will host free public programs starting in 2026

"Randall's Island just got a new claim to fame that has nothing to do with concerts or soccer fields. The Randall's Island Park Alliance has officially broken ground on a $6 million Nature Center, a 2,500-square-foot hub for science, sustainability and free programming set to debut in fall 2026. Think of it as the island's new brainy (but still fun) clubhouse-equal parts lab, classroom and community hangout, with plenty of green cred baked in."

""This project will transform how our visitors interact with the park by creating a hands-on learning space for all ages and a hub for exploration of the island's natural environment," said Deborah Maher, the president of the Randall's Island Park Alliance. "For the 4 million people who visit the Park annually-from those that call it their backyard to our visitors from around the world-Randall's Island Park has something for everyone to enjoy.""

"The design, led by MPFP PLLC, longtime master planners for the park, will renovate an existing masonry building with a modern glulam timber façade, a green roof and a rain garden. Nestled beside restored salt marsh and freshwater wetlands, the Center will double as a teaching tool, showing how plants naturally filter pollution before runoff reaches the river. Indoors, plans call for aquariums and live exhibits."

A $6 million Nature Center on Randall's Island will open in fall 2026 as a 2,500-square-foot hub for science, sustainability and free programming. The Center will house classrooms for school groups, a base camp for summer campers and an indoor option for inclement weather. RIPA programs engage more than 15,000 local students annually, with 91 percent from East Harlem and the South Bronx. The design by MPFP PLLC renovates an existing masonry building with a glulam timber façade, green roof and rain garden. The Center sits beside restored salt marsh and freshwater wetlands and will demonstrate how plants filter pollution before runoff reaches the river. Planned indoor features include aquariums and live exhibits, and adult offerings will include wetlands tours, waterfront festivals, Bird Bonanza and Pollinator Palooza.

Read at Time Out New York