Lake Roland Nature Center Breaks Ground

Baltimore County community members celebrated the groundbreaking of an environmental center at Lake Roland on Monday afternoon.

The center will include a classroom, meeting spaces equipped with multimedia capabilities and a deck that provides a year-round view of the Lake Roland Dam, Baltimore County government officials said in a statement.

The building is anticipated to be complete by April 30, 2016, according to Marjorie Hampson, director of Baltimore County Tourism. There will be minimal disruptions to park activities during construction, she said.

Community leaders say the new environmental center will promote year-round use of the park and increase access.

“It’s so important to encourage people, especially children, to connect with nature,” Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said in a statement Monday. “The construction of this nature and environmental education center will only further enhance Lake Roland with year-round education and programming.”

The environmental center on 1000 Lakeside Drive will cost $1.2 million, with funding coming from multiple sources:

• $375,000 from the Department of Natural Resources Program Open Space
• $340,000 from fundraising by the Lake Roland Nature Council
• $285,000 from Baltimore County
• $200,000 from state in capital funds

According to Program Open Space, the new facility will allow the park to increase its offerings in a major way because it adds enclosed spaces to the area around Lake Roland.

“...the center will allow for a large expansion in park programming, which is presently limited to predominantly outdoor activities and events as a result of the lack of publicly accessible indoor space at the park,” the Department of Natural Resources said in a statement outlining the need for project.

The new building will also provide accessibility to special needs and handicapped individuals, due to its location next to the ranger station, according to the Lake Roland Nature Council.

Groundbreaking photo by Baltimore County Government/Flickr. Rendering by Hord/Coplan/Macht courtesy of Lake Roland Nature Council.