HOLLAND, Mich. (AP) — The visitor center at a power plant nearly 30 miles west of Grand Rapids is taking shape.
Ashley Kimble, spokeswoman for the Holland Board of Public Works, which is spearheading the project, told the Holland Sentinel the $1.2 million addition is part of the $240 million Holland Energy Park project. It wasn’t included in the project’s original budget.
The visitor center will be an interactive space for visitors to learn about energy at home and in the community. The board’s general manager, Dave Koster, previously said there will be several exhibits in the long corridor of the visitor center.
The board approved a contract with Color-Ad Inc. for about $717,000 to fabricate the exhibits. The work includes the building of exhibits for six areas and lighting to enhance them.
Touch-screen stations will display an overview of the plant and teach visitors how different parts of it function. Visitors will also be able to play a game to create an energy efficient home.
Large windows throughout the hallway offer views into the guys of the power plant. Near a window overlooking a huge green pipe, visitors can learn about the inner workings of the city’s downtown snowmelt system, which the power plant will eventually heat.
“We are aiming for the visitor’s center to be complete by the end of September, so it can be ready for Public Power Week, which is the first week of October,” Kimble said.
An open house is scheduled at the power plant in early October.
