Cheekwood outlines $35 million parking pavilion and welcome plaza in quarterly update

Jane McLeod, president of Cheekwood, told the Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation that Cheekwood completed construction documents and will move forward with a parking pavilion and welcome plaza under the organizations’ memorandum of understanding.

"We can now confirm that the all in project cost for the parking pavilion and Welcome Plaza is $35,000,000," McLeod said, describing design features intended to honor the site’s historic character while improving accessibility.

McLeod said Cheekwood has a loan commitment with Truist and expects to close mid‑March on bridge financing that will support construction while pledge payments are realized. She said the project is expected to take about 18 months to build, with a goal to open in time for the 2027 holiday light season.

The presentation described environmental stewardship features, including a rainwater‑harvesting system and a green roof, and outlined interim parking strategies for construction periods such as shuttle service and time‑ticketing for major events.

McLeod said Cheekwood sustained significant tree loss in the recent ice storm and that recovery required six weeks of intensive work; the pavilion project’s timeline and the storm recovery effort will overlap. "After 6 weeks of closure and intensive tree recovery at Cheekwood, we're looking forward to opening for Cheekwood in Bloom this Saturday," she said.

Board members asked about fundraising and debt exposure; McLeod said fundraising is progressing with founding donors and pledges and that the organization’s goal is to assume as little long‑term debt as possible. She invited board and staff to the pavilion groundbreaking planned for spring and noted the MOU for adjacent parkland concludes on Dec. 31, 2027.

The Cheekwood presentation closed with a request that board members and staff join the groundbreaking and with an acknowledgement of the institution’s role as a regional cultural attraction.