Kids’ museum pitch for Founders

‘‘Museum’s not a really good word [for this], either, but that’s how they’re recognised . . . They don’t store relics and things, we provide real-life play experiences for young people.’’

Bruce Cresswell

Children could be building skyscrapers and damming the Waikato River in Hamilton’s old theatre if Bruce Cresswell has his way.

The grandfather of 14 is pushing for Founders Theatre to become a children’s museum, where child-sized versions of the world create play opportunities.

Similar attractions around the world let kids sit astride Harley-Davidson motorbikes, fight a mocked-up fire with a laser beam hose and collect rocks on the moon, he said.

The concept is popular through the United States and Cresswell thinks it could fit in the out-of-action Founders building, along with a community hub.

‘‘Museum’s not a really good word [for this], either, but that’s how they’re recognised,’’ said Cresswell, who worked in business development for about three decades.

‘‘They don’t store relics and things, we provide real-life play experiences for young people.’’

Cresswell has visited many with family in the United States and said they were popular tourist attractions.

The museum would cater for kids aged from 2 to 10, Cresswell said, allowing them to experience a grown-up world on their level.

Exhibits could include banking, postal services, television production and supermarkets – ‘‘all using pseudo products’’ – according to a proposal Cresswell has prepared.

The idea does have similarities to Exscite at Waikato Museum, he said, but he believes the two wouldn’t cannibalise each other’s business.

Cresswell’s suggestion comes as Hamilton City Council considers what to do with Founders Theatre, which has been closed for safety reasons since March 2016.

Councillors have previously talked about three options: complete demolition, partial demolition and reuse, or reinstating for an alternative community use.

On Friday, council put out a call for community groups interested in taking over Founders Theatre.

The children’s museum could coexist on the site with a community hub proposed by Community Waikato, Cresswell said, and he would create a business plan for the nonprofit venture.

‘‘We can do this financially to create value. I’m certain of that,’’ he said.

The museum would have an entry charge and could have sponsors for exhibits – such as WEL Energy for a mini Waikato River exhibit or New World for a supermarket area.

Before she heard about the museum idea, Community Waikato chief executive Holly Snape had asked council about turning backstage areas into community space.

The museum won’t need the backstage space, so the two plans could fit in Founders together.

‘‘Founders is a really big space, it’s really nice and central, it’s on a bus route. It has everything that we need, with good parking around it. It’s the right part of town,’’ Snape said.

Bringing community groups together in that space could allow them to pool resources and people and come up with innovative solutions, she said.

She hopes council will gift the building to the project and thinks there’s a good chance of getting funding to alter it for their purposes.

‘‘I haven’t imagined there would be any cost for council longterm . . . I think that council would be actually getting back in terms of us paying the lease for the land.’’

Hamilton City Council is asking community groups interested in taking over Founders to submit a proposal before November 19.

People can have their say on the future of Founders Theatre, and how the council funds the proposed Waikato Regional Theatre, from October 25 to November 26, 2017. For more about Cresswell’s plan at infohamiltonnz.com/Children-s-Museum.html.