Renovation plans for the Sandhill Research and Education Center in Richland Northeast could mean better hiking trails, more gardens and meadows, the restoration of a longleaf pine forest and other environmentally friendly projects.

That’s the plan Clemson University leaders and architects unveiled at a community meeting Tuesday at the center on the corner of Clemson and Two Notch roads.

For more than a year, architects, engineers and community members have been working on a master plan to transform the 530-acre site into a world-class showcase for learning about environmental preservation and community development.

Many residents hope the improvements will further enhance the area’s sense of place and set it apart from countless, nearly identical suburbs around the country.

The proposed conference center will be made out of recycled or recyclable materials. Work will begin on it in eight to 12 months.

Shading and sun-reflecting devices will make the building 40 percent more energy-efficient than the typical building, said Chuck Hultstrand, one of the project’s architects with Neal Prince Architects in Greenville.

Instead of trucking in supplies, they’ll work with local companies and use local materials that don’t require much energy to manufacture.

Toilets will flush using rainwater. Parking lots will be made out of permeable materials to lessen and cleanse runoff. Water quality in the site’s lakes could be improved by bioretention ponds that filter and clean storm water before it drains into the lake basin.

“Hopefully, this will be an inspiration for others in South Carolina,” Hultstrand said. “In the end, (these kinds of efforts) will help save our environment.”

The project is being funded by grants, donations and about $5 million from 300 acres sold to developer Alan Kahn. He is building a high-end shopping and residential development nearby off Clemson Road.

Last year, the Sandhill plan was in danger of being permanently shelved under proposed budget cuts by Gov. Mark Sanford. That plan would have forced Clemson to use much of the Sandhill money for general university expenses.

And the governor and others are still questioning whether such a project should be a priority during the state’s budget crunch.

“There are critical health care, education, public safety and economic development needs out there,” said Will Folks, the governor’s spokesman. “And while there’s no question this center is a benefit, you’ve got to stack that benefit up against those other critical needs.”

Now is the time for the state to invest in such environmentally friendly endeavors, said Mac Horton, director of the Sandhill site.

In the next decade, the state’s population will grow by about a million people, Horton said.

“You can’t develop willy-nilly forever,” he said. “Your resources are finite, and if we’re going to have quality resources to pass down to our children and grandchildren, we’re going to have to plan for it. Sandhill can be an example of how to do it.”

But the center has another purpose: helping communities around the state grow and prosper.

With the redevelopment of the center, Clemson officials hope community leaders from around the state will come to the site to be trained and find resources to help grow their communities.

Also, Clemson and USC graduate students, as well as scholars, will do research at the site and help communities with revitalization efforts.

Just as today, the public will have access to the site for free, Clemson leaders said. But access will be greater as trails and gardens, including the popular children’s garden, are likely to be expanded and improved.

Currently, winding trails, a conservation station and the children’s garden attract about 300 teachers and several thousand students from nearby school districts each year.

Area residents have long enjoyed the area for wildlife watching, picnicking, jogging and taking courses on gardening and wildlife.

While the lake house will be renovated and a conference center and office complex will be built, these construction projects will take up less than an acre of land, Horton said.

The renovations could take 10 to 20 years to complete. The timeline is long because a longleaf pine forest will be restored on more than 100 acres.

Community members who attended the unveiling say they’re pleased to see the plan coming together.

“I’m excited that this is finally coming to fruition,” said John Monroe, a nearby resident who heads the Sparkleberry Fair, which is held annually at the center. “This is an oasis, and Clemson wants to make sure it is for generations and years to come.”

Staff Writer Maurice Thomas contributed to this report. Reach Smith at (803) 771-8378 or gnsmith@thestate.com.