Item:
Title
Approval of Capital Project Ordinance No.27CPA015 Appropriating $2 Million of PAYGO Funding to the North Carolina Museum of Life and Sciences Museum Program and Event Infrastructure Capital Project (61903100DC041) Increasing the Total Project Budget to $7.85 Million to Address Increased Construction Costs due to Inflation and Tariffs
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: October 12, 2026
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to approve Capital Project Ordinance No.27CPA015 Appropriating $2,000,000 of PAYGO Funding to support the completion of the North Carolina Museum of Life and Sciences Museum Program and Event Infrastructure Capital Project (61903100DC041), thereby increasing the total project budget to $7.85 million. The original source of funding for this project was 2022 General Obligation Bonds Funds. The additional funding would be used for construction, material, labor and exhibit fabrication costs that have occurred due to inflation and tariff impact since the bond was approved.
Project #
Current Budget
Increase
Revised Budget
Museum Program and Event Infrastructure (6190DC041)
$5,850,000
$2,000,000
$7,850,000
Summary
$5,850,000.00
$2,000,000.00
$7,850,000.00
The Museum of Life and Science (MLS) requests an additional $2 million in County PAYGO funding to support completion of the Museum's 2022 voter-approved Bond capital projects. In 2022, Durham County voters approved $13.9 million in Bond funding for improvements at the Museum. Combined with a $1 million appropriation from the State of North Carolina and private philanthropic support, the public investment is part of an $18.5 million campus transformation. The Museum has made substantial progress, including building the Butterfly House Pavilion, renovating the Mercury Meeting Room, Biotech Lab, TinkerLab, and the From Here On sustainability exhibit, which includes Solutions coffee bar and a patio. Through June 2026, the Museum had expen...
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