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Gov. Steve Beshear and First Lady Jane Beshear have opened the Capitol Education Center, a new “green” learning facility for students and visitors at the Capitol Campus in Frankfort. The former heating and cooling facility had been dormant until its renovation into a visitors’ destination.
“More than 60,000 students, teachers and other guests visit the Capitol Campus each year, and we designed this Center with them in mind,” said Gov. Beshear. “The building offers a unique space for visitors to relax, eat lunch, and learn. The building will serve as an outstanding resource to promote energy efficiency, sustainability and more.”
“There is no other state in the nation that has an educational center for visitors like this one,” said Mrs. Beshear. “We have completely repurposed and ‘recycled’ an old, unused heating and cooling building to serve as a modern learning facility that visitors to the Capitol will enjoy for many years to come.”
The Center is located adjacent to the State Capitol and features a modern “green” design. The building is insulated with recycled denim and features a viewing platform on the roof with solar panels, a wind turbine and a rooftop garden. “Eco-screens” inside the Center display how much energy the facility is using in real time and how much energy the building’s solar panels are creating.
The Kentucky Environmental Education Council in the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet was the lead agency responsible for developing the educational components and coordinating the efforts of the partners in this project. The Center is outfitted with a range of interactive and multimedia kiosks and touch screens that provide information about sustainability, history, geography and tourism in Kentucky.
The University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville built and provided interactive exhibits that offer visitors a hands-on opportunity to learn about energy efficiency and a range of different types of energy sources such as hydro, wind and solar power.
The Capitol Education Center also includes a kitchen outfitted with appliances donated by General Electric.
Funding to retrofit and repurpose the Center was provided by a combination of sources. Duke Energy donated $250,000 for the project and the Finance and Administration Cabinet contributed nearly $1.1 million for both in-house and bid work, said Mrs. Beshear.
This facility was originally built in 1988 to house heating and cooling equipment for the Capitol Campus.
For information on the Capitol Education Center and how to visit, please go towww.cec.ky.gov.