Ford Nature Center to be closed for 2 years starting Feb. 1

Mill Creek MetroParks is temporarily closing the Ford Nature Center beginning Feb. 1 to begin a redevelopment project.

The project is expected to take up to 24 months to complete, with an anticipated reopening schedule of spring or summer 2022.

“We are thrilled to be able to announce the start of such a highly anticipated and critically needed project,” Aaron Young, executive director of Mill Creek MetroParks, said in a news release.

The Mill Creek MetroParks Foundation first launched the capital campaign for the redevelopment of the Ford Nature Center in July 2018. The foundation has raised $2,530,262 toward its $3 million goal and received a $1 million matching challenge grant from the Sand Hill Foundation of Menlo Park, Calif.

Once complete, the project will allow the Ford Nature Center to continue serving the community as a primary resource for nature-based education through the use of 21st-century classrooms, learning labs, exhibits and outdoor environment, according to the news release.

 “We appreciate the support the community has provided through the campaign and look forward to the successful completion of the project,” Young said.

Full article at mahoningmatters.com