Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont has received a $2 million lead gift from Amy Buckner Chowdhry toward construction of a new learning center on its second campus property in Townsend, Tennessee, the largest gift to date for the project. Buckner Chowdhry has committed an additional $500,000 to help Blount County students participate in Tremont programs.
The gift marks a significant turning point for a project that has been years in the making. Plans for the second campus were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and later reshaped following changes in federal funding opportunities. Tremont has since completed design development and is nearing completion of fully funded construction documents for the first phase.
The first phase will focus on a learning center for students, educators and community programs, while establishing infrastructure that will allow Tremont to add residential and dining facilities in future phases. The learning center is being designed to pursue Living Building Challenge certification, one of the world’s most rigorous standards for sustainable design and performance, with the goal of becoming Tennessee’s first fully certified Living Building Challenge project.
Tremont is continuing to raise funds for construction of the learning center and welcomes individuals, foundations, and community partners to join the effort. Learn more about the second campus and opportunities to sup port the project at tremontfuture.org.