$135M Expansion Plan for Museum

Ken Spritz, vice president of development for the museum, tells GlobeSt.com that the project is in the planning phase but will involve the reuse of some facilities as well as the construction of a new wing that would be between 25,000 sf and 50,000 sf. Spritz says that the expansion cost would be about $65 million while the remaining $70 million would go to renovations, developing new programs and start up costs.

The expansion is coming now as a result of a strategic planning process in which it was determined that the museum wanted to bring its technology education level "up to the science education level," says Spritz. "We have a plan with how to deal with technology in the broadest process and how we go about that will require new facilities."

The museum is just beginning to undertake a campaign to fund the ambitious project. The federal government has given its vote of confidence for the plan by providing $1.3 million in seed money to help defray some of the start up costs. Spritz notes that there are a number of other trustees who have pledged funds but he adds that the museum has not yet begun to aggressively fundraise for the project. The plan will be determined over the next five to six months, according to Spritz and once the project is further along the capital campaign will begin in earnest.

The current 200,000-sf museum is on land that is owned by the Metropolitan District Commission. The museum has a long term lease arrangement with the MDC. While building in Boston always has challenges, Spritz points out that the fact that the property is partly in the city and partly in Cambridge presents additional complications. "Nothing says we can't do it," he notes." We just need to get all the approvals."

The scenario is further complicated by the fact that there is talk in Governor Mitt Romney's administration of merging the MDC with another state agency. But Spritz is confident that even that possibility won't prevent the expansion from moving forward. "We're a private institution doing non profit work," he says. "I think we'll get good cooperation."