The next anchor at the Cove is a children's marine science center going into the old Deerfield Beach Chamber of Commerce building at Sullivan Park. It isn't a restaurant or a retailer. The city's own capital plan says the Cove Shopping Center's $1.1 million refresh is meant to follow that opening.
The order matters for anyone who uses this corner of Hillsboro Boulevard and the Intracoastal. The new sign, lighting and landscaping, and the push to change the center's tenant mix, are all scheduled to follow the museum. Right now the museum has a target season but no opening date.
What's Going Into the Old Chamber Building
The project is a partnership between the Museum of Discovery and Science and the Deerfield Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. The CRA is paying for design and construction. MODS is providing exhibit design, educational programming and visitor engagement. The CRA bought the former Chamber of Commerce building, and the center is being built inside it.
Plans call for about 10,000 square feet of hands-on marine science under the theme "Sawgrass to Seagrass." Exhibits will cover how South Florida's ecosystems connect: wetlands, seagrass beds, water quality, wildlife habitat and climate resilience. The theme fits the site. Sullivan Park sits on the water at 1633 Riverview Road, so the sawgrass-to-seagrass story is a few steps from the front door.
MODS president and CEO Joseph P. Cox described the project as a "cutting-edge marine science center" for "both residents and tourists." MODS has also said the center will extend its STEMobile programs into North Broward and Palm Beach communities. The Fort Lauderdale museum's STEMobile fleet delivers more than 60,000 free and low-cost programs a year, so the new building would also serve as a home base for that outreach.
The opening date has slipped. When MODS announced the partnership in November 2024, it projected a summer 2026 opening. The Boca Post reported in May 2026 that project materials now list late fall 2026. As of early October, no ribbon cutting, hours, ticket prices or admission details have been announced.
The name isn't settled either. In January, MODS asked the public to choose among six working names, and the survey said explicitly that it was not a formal vote that would decide the final name. The six survey options included "MODS Nature" and "MODS Deerfield Beach Nature Center." The city's capital plan uses a third version, "MODS Nature Center," which works as a planning label, not an announced name.
Why the Shopping Center Is Waiting on the Museum
The Cove Shopping Center at 1582 SE 3rd Court, on the south side of Hillsboro Boulevard at SE 15th Terrace, is in the city's FY27 to FY31 capital plan as a $1.1 million CRA renovation. The worksheet lists the work:
- A new monument sign at the Hillsboro Boulevard entrance
- New and improved lighting in the parking lot
- Updated parking lot landscaping, with a new irrigation system
The stated goal goes beyond appearance. The plan says the project should make the center easier to identify, "revitalize the shopping center, and enhance the quality/mix of tenants." MODS is named as a stakeholder, along with center property owners, tenants, residents and FDOT, which is involved because of the sign on Hillsboro. The plan also says the work is timed to closely match the nature center's opening.
The schedule in the plan runs as follows:
- April 2026: outreach to tenants and property owners begins
- July to October 2026: scope definition
- October 2026 to January 2027: design
- January to March 2027: vendor selection
- March to September 2027: permitting and construction
That puts this month at the point where scope work ends and design begins. On the plan's own timeline, a new sign and parking lot lights would arrive in 2027. If the museum opens in late fall 2026 as targeted, the center's makeover would follow by several months. If the museum's opening slips again, the city's stated timing suggests the shopping center work could move with it.
The next public check is close. The Deerfield Beach CRA meets on October 13, 2026. The September 9 CRA agenda dealt with the FY27 meeting calendar and budget and gave no status update on the museum. So October 13 is the first scheduled meeting where an update could come up.
The Cove as It Runs Right Now
The block the city is planning around already has a working evening routine. This is the corner before the sign, the lights and the museum.
| Spot | Address | What it is | Posted hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cove Brewery | 1500 SE 3rd Ct | Taproom; bills itself as "Deerfield's only brewery" | Tue to Thu and Sun noon to 9 p.m.; Fri and Sat noon to 11 p.m.; closed Mon |
| Won-Tom's | 1500 SE 3rd Ct, Ste 102 | Takeout-only Asian fusion and dim sum | Tue to Sun, including evenings |
| The Cove Waterfront Restaurant & Tiki Bar | 1754 SE 3rd Ct | Waterfront seafood, cocktails, tiki bar | Daily until 10 or 11 p.m. on its own site |
The brewery and Won-Tom's are set up to work together. Won-Tom's comes from the EDBL Family Brands team connected to Papa's Raw Bar in Lighthouse Point. It is designed to pair with time at Cove Brewery next door: you scan a QR code at your table, order on your phone, and the food is brought to you. A pint and dim sum here means one table and two businesses, with nobody driving between stops. Won-Tom's is closed Mondays, and so is the brewery.
The Cove Waterfront covers the weekend. The Greater Fort Lauderdale tourism listing says live music runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On its own site, the restaurant lists 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The tourism listing shows later closing times, so call ahead if you're planning a late dinner.
What Sullivan Park Is Missing This Fall
Sullivan Park was designed from the start as part of a waterfront draw. When it opened in February 2017, the Sun Sentinel described a splash playground and boat slips. That coverage also mentioned a planned walkway under the Hillsboro Boulevard bridge to connect the park to the Cove. The museum is the newest piece of an idea the city has been building on this site for almost a decade.
Families heading there this fall should know that the splash pad is down. The city's Parks and Recreation Department closed it for maintenance on Monday, July 13, 2026, and said it "will remain closed until further notice while repairs are completed." We found no announcement that it has reopened. Check with the city before promising a toddler water play.
That leaves this fall in between. The splash pad is closed, the museum building is under construction and the shopping center sign hasn't been designed. The brewery, Won-Tom's and the tiki bar's weekend music are open now, at the same corner where most of the next two years of city spending is aimed.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
- Opening date: "Late fall 2026" is a target, not an announcement. Wait for MODS or the city to post hours and tickets before planning a visit.
- Name: expect a final name, which may or may not be "MODS Nature Center."
- Construction: if the CRA timeline holds, design runs through January 2027 and parking lot and sign work runs from March to September 2027. Plan around lighting and landscaping crews at the Cove next year.
- Public input: the CRA's October 13 meeting comes first. Information about the partnership is available from the Deerfield Beach CRA at 954-480-4262.
If you live near the Cove and want to talk through what a museum, a new storefront sign and a changing tenant mix could mean for your part of east Deerfield, Erik Ginsberg follows these CRA timelines closely. Lean On Me: schedule a personalized consultation and we'll walk through what's actually on the calendar for your corner.
