Mar 27, 2010

Children's Museum of Tacoma finds new home

Mike Archbold; The News Tribune

The Museum District in downtown Tacoma is getting another museum.

The Children’s Museum of Tacoma is moving from its storefront location on Broadway Avenue to the first floor of the United Way of Pierce County’s building at Pacific Avenue and South 15th Street.

Museum officials on Friday inked a potential 25-year lease with the United Way. The initial lease is for 10 years with options for three five-year extensions.

The museum, which has offered play, fun and learning for kids for nearly 25 years, has been contemplating a move to handle its growth since early this decade, said Tanya Andrews, the museum’s executive director.

The new 8,700-square-foot space will be 60 percent bigger than the current location at 936 Broadway Ave., Andrews said. Costs to operate the new space over the same time period will be about 50 percent less, she said.

Operating costs at the current site were projected at $1.5 million over the next 10 years. At the new site, the costs should be about $1 million, she said. A capital fundraising campaign to custom design the new museum will begin soon.

The goal is to open the new home in fall 2011.

HAPPENSTANCE

A chance meeting last summer between Andrews and United Way President Rick Allen eventually led to Friday’s signing. Allen asked Andrews about the museum’s search for a new home, which hadn’t turned up anything.

Allen suggested the museum check out the first floor of the United Way building. The floor had just become vacant after DaVita Dialysis Centers moved out.

“Everyone fell in love with it instantly,” Andrews said.

Allen said Friday that the museum is a perfect match for the historic building, which the United Way bought in 1992 to provide space and affordable rent to profit and nonprofit service agencies.

Built in 1889, the Sprague Building was renamed the Betye Martin Baker Human Service Center in 1995.

Early childhood education is a primary focus of United Way and the Children’s Museum is part of the Early Childhood Consortium and a lead player in the Play to Learn Program, Allen explained.

The Children’s Museum established an outreach program 18 months ago to kids up to 6 years old at eight sites in the county. It now serves 400 individuals each week.

Financially, the move means the museum won’t have to build a new building.

“It’s much more feasible in today’s market to build-out in a leased space,” Allen said.

SEARCHING FOR A HOME

In 2007, the museum first focused its attention on a new museum at the future Foss Waterway Park but boaters and open space preservationists opposed the idea. In 2008, the museum’s board backed away from the water and the controversy.

A community survey led to criteria for a new museum site. A major desire was to keep it downtown, Andrews said.

“People felt it was important to remain downtown,” she said.

“Now we are part of the museum district and closer to other amenities, restaurant and shops.”

Public transportation also is available.

Some parking will be available in the United Way parking lot, where an expansion is planned. The Tacoma Art Museum next door also has a parking lot, Andrews said. The Sounder Station near Freighthouse Square is connected to the museum district by Link light rail

The new space will have custom-designed installations, Andrews said. The architectural and engineering firm BCRA of Tacoma has been retained as lead designer.

“It will be a brand new experience,” she said.

The museum is projecting 48,000 kids will visit its current smaller space.

“We are hoping to serve more people to the larger space,” she said. “This is such an exciting thing.”

Children’s Museum of Tacoma

Location: 936 Broadway Ave.

General admission: $6 adults and children; free for children younger than 1

Happy Hour: Half-price admission Monday-Friday from 3-5 p.m.

Free days: First Friday of every month; every Thursday in June, July and August

Information: Call 253-627-6031 or visit www.playtacoma.org

 • To take the museum’s survey on possible features at its new location, go to www.ChildrensMuseumofTacoma.org/capital-campaign.

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