After seven years of searching, Philadelphia's Please Touch Museum has found a new facility.
The museum -- a hands-on children's attraction -- has set its sights on the historical Memorial Hall building and has proposed an 80-year lease for the building. The proposal was recently approved by the Fairmount Park Commission and is awaiting approval by the City Council.
Although sites on the Delaware River and Penn's Landing were initially considered, deals were never finalized, and museum officials were forced to look elsewhere for a larger building to house their expanding collection.
The museum is currently short on space in its location at 210 N. 21st St., Project Manager Kit Matthew said.
Museum officials hope the final approval will be granted in mid-May. After the City Council has approved the lease, the museum will focus on fundraising for the approximately $62 million necessary to complete the move, said Nancy Kolb, museum president and chief executive officer.
Approximately $25 million has already been raised for this purpose, and officials hope to raise the remainder of the money with the help of a newly formed fundraising team.
By moving to Memorial Hall, which was originally constructed for the Centennial Exhibition in 1876, the museum will be expanding its floor space from its current 38,000 square feet to approximately 157,000 square feet.
Forty-thousand of these square feet will be allocated to galleries and exhibits. The remainder of the space will serve as office space and space for other attractions -- including a full-sized indoor carousel, which officials plan to construct at the new site.
With its expanded size and new location, officials hope that the museum will grow to be considered a world-class attraction for children.
The new facility is not the only reason for the move, however. The museum also wants to "be a full partner in the continued development of West Philadelphia," Kolb said.
By moving to Fairmount Park, the museum will bring a valuable attraction and economic stimulus to the area.
This move will also catalyze the formation of what officials call the "Centennial District," a partnership between the Philadelphia Zoo, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, the Please Touch Museum and others. This district will serve as a hub for entertainment for the Philadelphia region.
The Please Touch Museum is "excited about partnering with the park-side community" in the formation of this district, Matthew said.
City officials are pleased that the move will result in the renovation of Memorial Hall. By moving to the site, the Please Touch Museum will be "restoring a historical landmark" that has remained vacant for years, Fairmount Park Commission Chief of Staff Barry Bessler said.
Bessler added that Fairmount officials "are very grateful that the Please Touch Museum is taking on this challenge," because the city was unable to gather sufficient funding for renovation of the hall in previous attempts.
