The Powerhouse Science Center is moving from plan to reality as officials announced Thursday that they have received a $7 million government grant, which means construction will start in July on the riverfront.

The center will educate visitors in science, technology, space and nature through its displays, which will include a planetarium, a Challenger space shuttle learning exhibit and interactive exhibits on natural sciences.

“This is a huge milestone because this is the first significant public money that we’ve gotten into the project,” said the center’s interim executive director, Michele Wong.

The $7 million comes from Proposition 84 taxes, under the Safe Water Bond Act. Voters approved $93 million in nature education grants in 2006.

“This is exactly what we need in the City of Sacramento,” said City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby, whose District 1 will be home to the complex. “The Powerhouse Science Center will bring jobs, education and a family experience for everyone who lives in or visits our region.”

The grant provides enough money to build the Earth & Space Sciences Center, which includes a 150-seat, full-dome planetarium.

That building is the first of three in the complex – centered around a century-old PG&E power station – that will be located on the riverfront on Jibboom Street.

Mike Testa, spokesman for the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the completed center will help draw tourists to the city.

“Anytime you have a wide variety of museums and attractions, it draws visitors,” he said. “The location is great. It’s sort of a ‘museum mile’ with the Crocker (Art Museum), the California History Museum and the Railroad Museum that makes a sort of critical mass.”

He added that he anticipates it being a well-done project.

“The Powerhouse Science Center, this thing is the real deal,” Testa said. “They’re doing it right.”

Wong called the center “a huge milestone” for Sacramento.

“First of all, generally California ranks 49th in the country in math and science scores, and Sacramento ranks in the bottom 25th percentile of California,” she said. “That does not bode well for our global competitiveness.”

She added that, from an economic development standpoint, regional leaders have been talking about developing the riverfront area for a long time.

“This project would be the first significant project to be built on the river since the pyramid building in West Sacramento in 1998 and Raley Field (also in West Sacramento) in 2000.”

Aside from the Crocker Art Museum expansion, it would be the first big project built on the Sacramento side of the river in many years.

With the grant money, construction can proceed as planned.

“We’ve been working on the grant for two years,” Wong said. “We’ve been working under the assumption that we’d get it.”

The next-largest public funding was a grant from the city of Sacramento for $880,000.

Future funding opportunities lie in tax credits, and Wong said she hopes to get between $10 million and $15 million in federal tax credits.

Tax credits are awarded for the rehabilitation of historic buildings, and in the case of the Powerhouse Science Center, the old PG&E building is being rehabilitated as construction goes forward.

“We’re very excited,” Wong said. “This makes the project real. We’ve seen the progress, but this is like an indication that this is really going to happen.”

Work is expected to be completed in 2013.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.