National Eagle Center unveils $27M expansion plan

(ABC 6 News) -Monday, The National Eagle Center unveiled the new branding for the Center and announced the kick-off of Phase I of the multi-year $27 million renovations and expansion along with major new gifts.

Officials said the Center will close on October 25 until Spring 2022 to complete the Phase I renovations.

Phase I – Transforming & Activating Main Street

The event, which featured renderings of the upcoming construction project, shared the vision for the transformation of Main Street and the National Eagle Center. In addition to the activation of Main Street, Phase I will expand the National Eagle Center offerings to include museum-quality exhibits along with the development of an Amphitheater and outdoor program and exhibit space. JE Dunn will handle the construction management of the project.

Preston Cook Collection

Preston Cook, who committed his multi-million dollar 25,000 piece collection to the National Eagle Center in 2017, also participated in the press conference and talked about the genesis of his collection and search for a home.

Included in the 25,000 pieces of memorabilia are more than 65 distinct collections that include sheet music, advertisements, photographs, postcards, stamps, coins, and much more. The Preston Cook Collection will be a focal point of the grand reopening of the Center in the spring of 2022.