Birmingham Gardens undergoes $1.4 million renovation

The Conservatory at Birmingham Botanical Gardens will undergo a $1.4 million renovation project starting in May with plans to re-open in September.  

The goal is to open in time for the school year and the return of the award-winning, curriculum-based educating program Discovery Field Trips, which has provided free science education to more than 100,000 Birmingham students in the past decade. The building has been closed to the public since April 2011, for safety concerning the glass ceiling.

The Conservatory, originally opened in 1963, was designed by the Lord & Burnham firm and is now one of few like it that hasn't been demolished.

This will be the first phase of the Garden's master plan that includes numerous updates and changes to the property. The Pennington Group, Inc. from Birmingham  is the contractor selected for the job. Phase I will include stripping old glass, cleaning the structure, updating electrical distribution and ventilation, re-glazing safety glass and restoring the original appearance of the entrance.