Mecklenburg County commissioners are weighing the future of the Charlotte Museum of Nature after learning that Discovery Place cannot pay the county $14.6 million due Oct. 27 under an agreement for the project. The museum, formerly known as Discovery Place Nature and the Nature Museum, has completed most of its construction but has not opened. At a Tuesday commissioners’ meeting, county officials said Discovery Place had told staff this summer it would not be able to make the required lump-sum payment. Commissioners must decide this month whether to declare the nonprofit in default or work out a new agreement. A default could allow the county, which owns the building, to use it for another purpose, including as a Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation center. Several commissioners said they were surprised by the shortfall, despite the project’s reliance on tens of millions of dollars in public funding. The county pledged a $16 million cap in 2019 and added another $10 million in public dollars in late 2023. Commissioner Elaine Powell criticized the relationship between the county and Discovery Place, saying, “It’s become a parasitic relationship.” The dispute leaves the museum’s opening date uncertain. It also raises questions about the future of the facility’s otters, which were expected to be part of the museum.