GRAND FORKS – Leaders of the Grand Forks Children’s Museum are excited at the prospect of building the facility on South 42nd Street instead of on South Washington near Choice Health and Fitness, as originally planned.
The change in location, however, will require reconsideration of the building design. Depending on how long that work takes, it may nudge groundbreaking from spring to summer, said Katie Mayer, the museum’s executive director.
Soon after the Grand Forks City Council recently approved a $1 annual ground lease for the museum to be built about one block south of the Alerus Center, museum leaders began meeting to determine how the current design may need to be modified, she said.
The new site is near the proposed Altru Indoor Sports and Aquatics Center. Details regarding the museum arrangements are still being worked out, but under the lease agreement, the city would own the land, not the museum building.
The 42nd Street site will provide the museum with four to five acres of land – the final exact acreage is not yet determined – compared to roughly eight acres on South Washington, Mayer said. But museum leaders are still intending to build a 28,000-square-foot facility, the same footage that was planned for South Washington.
One of the benefits of the new location is “it’s a little less for us to maintain,” she said, “so that is a financial benefit” to the museum.
“Every plot of land is different,” Mayer said. “So we’re going to look at what’s appropriate for that plot of land. … We’re taking the building that we currently have and looking at: how does it fit on that land? What do we need to move around?
“This also gives us an opportunity – because we’re in schematic design (phase), we’re almost to the end of it – to really look at our building and be really conscious about how we’re spending our dollars, to be budget-appropriate, in order to the bring the cost of the building down a little bit.”
The benefits of the South 42nd Street location are numerous, Mayer said, including making the museum “more central to the community and more accessible to tourists visiting the area for sporting and other events. This move promises to enhance visitor accessibility and overall experience.”
Another advantage is that the planned Destination Playground, sponsored by the park district, “will now be built adjacent to the museum instead of across the street,” which would have been the case at the South Washington site, she said. “This change will enhance safety, convenience and accessibility for visitors.”
Also, the city’s offer of a lease term of $1 per year “significantly” improves the museum’s economic outlook, Mayer said.
“The city will also support the maintenance of the grounds and parking lots, and shared infrastructure costs will save operating expenses for both projects, further easing the financial burden on the museum.”
The site on 42nd Street is part of a 25-acre destination corridor, which also includes the Altru Indoor Sports and Aquatics Center, being developed in partnership with the Grand Forks Park District. City leaders expect the corridor will have a positive economic impact and enhance the quality of life for residents of the community and surrounding area, Mayer said.
While the planned relocation of the museum building site is financially beneficial for both the city and museum, “it is crucial for the museum to continue its capital campaign efforts,” she said.
About $28 million of the $45 million goal has been raised, Mayer said. “All donations to the museum are allocated directly to the museum’s campaign fund for the building, exhibits, programming and operations.”
For more information on the campaign, or to make a donation, go to
https://www.grandforkschildrensmuseum.com
, visit the Grand Forks Children’s Museum on Facebook or Instagram, or contact Mayer at (701) 864-8640 or katiem@gfchildrensmuseum.com.
Earlier this year, city leaders and key museum donors began discussions with the museum’s board about relocating the children’s museum to the city’s planned destination corridor, pending results of a comprehensive study, Mayer said.
“Subsequent feasibility studies revealed a high demand for indoor play,” she said in a news release. “Moving the museum would address this need and reduce infrastructure costs for both projects.”
Altru Health System, which had offered the plot of land on South Washington for the museum, also with a $1 annual ground lease arrangement, “fully supports the move,” Mayer said. “(Altru) has pledged to donate to the museum’s capital fund, accelerating the anticipated groundbreaking.”
The relocation of the proposed museum to South 42nd Street reinforces the city’s plans for that area, Mayer said.
“The City Council’s forward-thinking proposal to relocate the children’s museum aligns perfectly with their strategic plans for the area’s redevelopment,” she said. “This move not only addresses the high demand for indoor play but also integrates seamlessly into the broader vision for revitalizing the city’s destination corridor.”
“We are thrilled to embark on this new chapter for the Grand Forks Children’s Museum,” Mayer said. “The new location will enable us to better serve our community and showcase our STEAM-based exhibits in innovative ways, while aligning with the city council’s broader plans to enhance the area’s offerings.”
STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
“We are deeply grateful for the City Council’s leadership and vision, which will elevate the entire project,” she said.
The Grand Forks Children’s Museum will be a dynamic space where imagination knows no boundaries, Mayer said. The facility will play a critical role in inspiring the next generation of innovators, thinkers and leaders, by engaging children in hands-on, experiential learning.
Council President Dana Sande said, in the museum’s news release, “We are incredibly proud to support the Grand Forks Children’s Museum in its new, more central location. This move not only enhances accessibility for our community but also provides a state-of-the-art facility where children can explore, learn and grow. The museum’s focus on STEAM education is vital for nurturing the next generation of innovators and leaders.
“We believe this investment and partnership will have a lasting positive impact on our community.”