A $101 million science center is being built on Omaha’s riverfront, scheduled to open in 2023.

The Kiewit Luminarium will be an interactive community space that is part workshop and part museum, according to HDR. The project is part of The RiverFront revitalization project that plans to connect the Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland of America Park, and Lewis and Clark Landing.

The science center will be located between the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and a children’s playground area. It will include views of the Missouri River as well as downtown Omaha.

The 82,000-square-foot space is being built by Omaha Discovery Trust, a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit backed by a capital campaign by Heritage Services. HDR is the lead architect and engineer. The project partners also include the Exploratorium, a San Francisco-based museum of science, technology and arts, which will lead programming design and develop the hands-on exhibits.

Several Kiewit-affiliated organizations served as the lead donors for the project, including the Kiewit Corporation, the Peter Kiewit Foundation, former Kiewit Chairman Walter Scott Jr.’s foundation and the Grewcock family.

“We believe this innovative community space will have a powerful and lasting influence on fueling our city’s workforce development,” Bruce Grewcock, Kiewit chairman and founding member of the project, said in a statement. “The science center will help us nurture a diverse workforce by creating a space that will inspire young people to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and math even before they get to high school.”

The building will offer hands-on learning opportunities for children to explore science, math, engineering and technology – the so-called STEM fields that underpin much of modern life.

The science museum project held a ground-breaking ceremony Nov. 16.

David G. Brown, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber, praised the latest investment in the city’s riverfront.

“Today’s groundbreaking further solidifies Greater Omaha as a world-class region,” Brown said in a statement. “We are beyond fortunate to have Heritage Services, Kiewit, MECA and our many area business partners working together to make Kiewit Luminarium, a gem of a science center, happen right here on Lewis & Clark Landing. Communities committed to STEM experiences understand many of our world’s most critical issues are steeped in science. A commitment to STEM is a commitment to Omaha.”