The city planning commission today approved plans for the new SportsWorks building at the Carnegie Science Center.

Commission members unanimously authorized the 25,000-square-foot complex to be built in parking lot space adjacent to the North Shore science center.

The new building will feature a main floor filled with exhibits, including some new ones, as well as a mezzanine that will serve as a lobby and also feature some classroom space. The science center was forced to relocate SportsWorks from the former Miller Printing Co. building as part of the construction of the light rail transit extension to the North Shore.

The science center hopes to start work on the $5 million project in early November and have it opened on Labor Day 2009.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.