Balfour Beatty team picked for Florida museum

The team will oversee all vertical construction for the US$85m (£63m) project, which will bring a new museum to the Shipyards East area on the Northbank area of downtown Jacksonville.

The plans involve 130,000 square feet for exhibitions, programmes and events along with an improved space for the planetarium.

“Our board of trustees and Genesis oversight committee were extremely impressed by Balfour Beatty and Stellar’s depth of experience in Northeast Florida,” said Bruce Fafard, president and CEO of the Museum of Science & History (MOSH). “After reviewing proposals from numerous teams through our competitive process, we were particularly interested in the complementary nature of Balfour Beatty’s national experience and Stellar’s local roots. Their combined approach demonstrated a holistic understanding of our visitor experience plan, both within our building and across the broader Sports & Entertainment District.”

The museum’s new building will be constructed on a 2.5-acre site. Estimating and budgeting will begin this month, with construction due to begin in 2023.

“Jacksonville is a dynamic city, and MOSH is an established leader within its cultural community,” said Dave Campbell, Balfour Beatty project executive. “We are honoured to have the opportunity to partner with MOSH on this iconic development and have the unique opportunity to shape the future of downtown.”

“MOSH is a community pillar that has inspired scores of designers, engineers and innovators within our region,” said Richard Lovelace, senior vice president, commercial at Stellar. “Through our participation in this joint venture with Balfour Beatty, we hope to create a building where the next generation of creative thinkers can find inspiration to become pioneers and leaders.”

MOSH has operated in its current location on the Southbank of downtown Jacksonville since 1969. It operations have outgrown the 77,000-square-foot facility. Early projections estimate that by building a new facility at the Jacksonville Shipyards, MOSH will be able to serve 58,000 students (a 50% increase over pre-pandemic numbers) and 469,000 visitors (a 168% increase) each year.

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