Discovery Center's plans okayed

LEABURG: “Our goal is to educate several generations to become stewards of the river,” was the message Gene Jones delivered at the August meeting of the McKenzie River Chamber of Commerce. He went on to explain that the McKenzie River Discovery Center (MRDC) would not only be “an education destination but also a stepping stone for economic development.”

Located on the curve around Leaburg Lake, proponents of the MRDC received good news last Monday when the county okayed a special use permit allowing commercial uses on the 46-acre property. Jones said work could start soon to renovate the interiors of three buildings on the site and the rebuilding of a barn that burned in 2020.

While the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is currently busy designing interactive displays, three documentaries will be ready by October, he said. The films, by two-time Emmy award winner Jesse Clark, will cover the area’s geology and history, provide cultural overviews, and explain what’s unique about the area’s fish and ecology.

Besides housing exhibits the new building’s design would be flexible enough and also allow community groups to schedule events there as well, Jones said. And an open-air covered roof structure that’s planned to span the area between the hatchery and the existing “community” might work for outdoor events like Garden Club sales, he noted.

People who’d like to support the project financially can look forward to the launch of a fundraising campaign in the first quarter of 2025. “We didn’t want to over promise and under deliver,” was how Jones explained not going public sooner. “We want to make sure we have a very clear message of what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and what it’s going to look like,” he said.

To view a video, go to: tinyurl.com/2tjf4st4