Cedar tree marks milestone in NC research center

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — The Raleigh skyline will be getting an organic addition to celebrate a milestone in construction work on a new research center.

The Nature Research Center is expected to open to the public in 2012. It’s an 80,000-square-foot addition to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

On Monday, a ceremony will be held at the site in downtown Raleigh. A live Eastern Red Cedar tree will be placed on top of the building’s highest point. The tree is a traditional symbol of good luck.

When it opens, the new center will be dedicated to bringing cutting-edge scientific research into the public eye.

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