$18 million investment will 'make it the museum we need it to be'
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In downtown Erie, where cranes, heavy equipment and construction fencing currently dominate the State Street landscape, another big project is picking up steam.
After months of excavation and site preparation, structural steel recently emerged from the ground at the northwest corner of French and East Fifth streets, where an $18 million expansion of the Experience Children's Museum is underway.
Ronald Meeder, site superintendent for the Erie architectural firm of Weber Murphy Fox, said construction crews — nearly all of them local — expect to finish a three-story 19,000-square-foot addition to the children's museum, located at 420 French St., by June of next year.
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But that won't be the end of the project.
At that point, the crews — working with architect Sarah Ludwig — will tackle a top-to-bottom renovation of the existing 14,000-square-foot building, Meeder said.
Plans call for the museum to move into the new space next summer for about a year while renovations are made to the existing building.
The museum couldn't afford the lost revenue — or the loss of audience — that would accompany a yearlong shutdown, said Ainslee Brosig, executive director of the museum.
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What should visitors expect from the expansion?
"It's going to be a museum like any big city would have," Brosig said of the expansion, due to be complete by June 2024. "If you have been to Pittsburgh, Buffalo or Cleveland, this would be something you would see there, if not better. It's definitely going to be the size of that. It's definitely going to have as many exhibits."
Ludwig said the design by Brian Weber reflects the mission of the building.
"I think the idea was to tie into the historic building that we have here and make something fun," Ludwig said. "I think it is fun. It's different."
Brosig said the museum and its board are expecting big results.
"In order to be a world-class museum, we need to have space," she said. "We were at capacity. We saw 64,000 people annually. It wasn't a good business plan that we were at capacity and we were only seeing kids up to age 8."
The completion of the renovation and the addition is expected to change that math. Brosig said projections show that the museum will likely host about 130,000 people a year once renovations are complete.
What's inside the new building will be as important as the extra space itself.
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Wheelchair accessible, two-story ship climber feature on the way
"Children's museums are very reflective of their community," Brosig said. Once complete, the museum will feature an expanded water table three times as large as the existing attraction.
Focus groups with young visitors led to what Brosig, Meeder and Ludwig say could lead to one of the museum's top attractions.
Considering Erie's location and its history, "We knew we wanted some kind of a ship," Brosig said. "The kids told us they wanted to climb. They wanted more slides and more movement."
That led to the creation of what Brosig calls a two-story ship climber that's wheelchair accessible.
Brosig said the $18 million fundraising effort is on track. Major contributions include $5 million from the state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, $1 million from Erie Insurance, and $500,000 from Tim NeCastro, the company's CEO, and his wife, Lisa, who are the campaign's co-chairs.
Brosig said the fundraising campaign has raised $17.4 million of the $18 million needed for the project. The community campaign, which is expected to raise the final $600,000, will begin soon, she said.
Good neighbors
The relationship between the museum and its neighbors, including Erie Insurance and Erie Art Museum, was a contributing factor to the museum's decision to stay in the neighborhood.
Staying wasn't always a foregone conclusion. Just a few years ago, the museum's board gave serious consideration to a new location.
"At the end of the day we knew that children's museums in downtown environments are economic drivers and are revitalization centers for areas," Brosig said. "Having the art museum as a neighbor, having Glass Growers Gallery, it's really this cool little space. When we took a step back, we have everything we need right here."
Brosig said she's looking forward to building a better version of a beloved museum.
"This building was a livery and a garage. It has some charm. It was never meant to be a children's museum. It served us very well," Brosig said. "This gives us the chance to correct some of those things that need to be fixed and make it the museum we need it to be."
Jim Martin can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie's Experience Children's Museum will add climbing ship, capacity