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Children’s Museum seeks input on its future

By John Larson

Children’s Museum of Tacoma has been looking for a new location for some time. Earlier this year its interest in a parcel on Thea Foss Waterway generated considerable controversy, as open space advocates united against building a museum on land that was purchased with funds set aside for open space.

Not wishing to be the center of controversy, the museum withdrew its interest.

Tanya Andrews, executive director of the museum, gave a status report on its plans to Tacoma City Council during their May 13 study session.

Andrews noted that the museum emerged out of a Metro Parks planning study in 1985. The organization’s finances have stabilized in recent years, with Andrews noting it has operated in the black for five years.

Currently the museum has 40,000 visitors per year. The goal for a new building would be 125,000 per year, Andrews told the council. Its target audience is children eight and under. Currently, 75 percent of visitors come between Monday and Friday, and 36 percent of visitors receive free admission through special events and other efforts to ensure children from lower-income families can be part of the fun and learning.

The goals for a new facility are essentially the same as before. Andrews seeks a building with 25,000 square feet, of which 13,000 would be for display areas. She and the board also want adjacent outdoor space that could be incorporated with museum activities. She said this is crucial “to meet the needs of the whole child.”

John Folsom, chair of the site search committee for the museum’s board, also addressed the council. He said $1.6 million has been raised so far in the effort to acquire a new home. The organization is currently in a phase that will run through June 30 in which it is revising its site search criteria.

Another phase covering the second half of the year will allow for the board to consider input from the community.

Andrews said Councilmember Lauren Walker put her in touch with representatives of Upper Tacoma Business Association to hold a meeting about possible locations on Hilltop.

Councilmember Mike Lonergan asked Andrews about speculation the museum might be interested in the old Elks building. She said that has been considered. Once the site criteria are revised, that and other sites will be considered and ranked.

He also asked her what assistance from the city the museum may seek. Andrews did not go into specifics, but she did note the city has assisted other museums downtown.

Mayor Bill Baarsma suggested the city could provide telecommunications service through the city-owned Click! Network to the museum, although he did not specify whether this service would be donated free of charge.

Councilmember Julie Anderson asked how important it is for the future home of the museum to be near mass transit.

“I would like to see access to mass transit remain a driving force in our criteria,” Andrews said. “We want to be accessible to the biggest number of people that we can.”

The museum is putting together a survey about its future plans. Andrews encourages any interested individual to fill it out. It will be available soon at its website, www.childrensmuseumoftacoma.org.

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