Later this month, the City of Great Falls will make a decision on the lease for the Children’s Museum of Montana.
The museum currently resides in a city-owned building, but cramped quarters at the Great Falls Civic Center has the city looking for space to spread out.
“Anybody that’s been into Municipal Court and downstairs, that’s not a great situation for security and for jury trials, we need to find some additional office space,” says City Manager Greg Doyon.
Instead of building something new, city officials want to use what they already have and that means the museum will have to find a new home eventually.
“The current agreement allows them to extend their lease for five years which we will be recommending to the commission that they approve,” says Doyon.
If the city does approve extending that lease for the next five years, it will give the museum some breathing room.
“It’s a little bit of both a hurdle and an opportunity,” says Morgan Mitchell, director of the Children’s Museum of Montana. “If we’re moving we have the opportunity to expand what we offer to come back with a fresh environment for the kiddos,” she adds.
They hope that their next location will be more permanent.
“We are definitely looking to purchase,” explains Mitchell, “The lease worked here with the city for 20 years it’s been amazing but we really want the stability of our own place.”
If the city does renew the lease the museum will continue raising a goal of 3.5 million dollars to purchase and prepare their next home.
The city is scheduled to discuss the museum’s lease in a work session November 20th.
- Reported by Joe Huisinga
(JULY 22, 2018) The future of the Children’s Museum of Montana in Great Falls is uncertain right now as their lease is coming to an end.
For 20 years, they have been paying the city one dollar per year to lease the building, but with the lease ending in the fall, their future is up in the air.
“It has an automatic renewal clause to it, so they’re able to lease it with some discussion with the commission for another five years,” said Greg Doyon, Great Falls city manager.
Until those discussions happen, the museum is working to raise enough money to purchase, renovate, and relocate into a permanent home.
“We know at some point we’re going to need a permanent building, whether that’s this one or another one, we know it’s coming. We just want to get out in front of that because we understand that the Great Falls community really needs us here,” said Morgan Mitchell, the executive director of the museum.
They’re asking for 3.5 million dollars.
“Unfortunately with the closure of the Natatorium, and the possibility of us losing our building, the family-friendly options in Great Falls are just dwindling. We really are fighting as hard as we can to make sure that doesn’t happen,” said Mitchell.
But, if the museum loses the building, the city is looking to take over that extra space.
“We’re short on office space, and safe court space in the Civic Center and we’re looking at our options and obviously having that building on campus makes sense, logistically, in terms of using the facility that we already have. Of course, that means that they would need to look for another spot,” said Doyon.
And now, the museum is looking to the community for help.
“If you can’t donate large chunks of money, come in and see us. Buy a coffee, we need support. We need people coming in our doors. We love seeing the kiddos,” said Mitchell.
The museum will be hosting a spaghetti dinner on Sept. 23 from 4 to 9 p.m., at $10 a plate.
