Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Renovations on schedule, under budget
ROGERS — The Rogers Historical Museum restoration and expansion is on schedule for completion late this year and running below budget, its commission heard Thursday.
The museum has secured more than $5.5 million through private donations and public funding since announcing the restoration in 2016. Being below cost is great news for both the city and the museum, John Burroughs, museum executive director, said at the Historic Museum Commission meeting Thursday.
The Rogers City Council agreed in July 2017 to spend up to $2.5 million for the expansion and renovation. The museum has used $2.25 million, Burroughs said. He said more than $3 million has been raised for the project, which is expected to cost $5.5 million.
He added he’ s thankful for the council’s commitment to the project and expects completion by this December.
“I think this is a very good example of public-private partnerships,” Burroughs said. “Many museums do not have this support from their cities.”
Kathleen Dickerson, chairwoman of the museum commission, said the completed project will be a great draw for people to the historic area of Rogers.
“We’ve waited 40 years for this. We’ve got to be the best there is,” Dickerson said.
The fundraising continues, including an application for a $100,000 grant, said Cathy Orr, executive director of the Rogers Museum Foundation. The museum has to be prepared for any major problems that may arise between now and the museum’s opening later this year, though it is unlikely, Burroughs said.
“We are pushing ahead, and everything is going really well. I’m proud of it,” he said.
The city purchased the Hailey Ford building at 313 S. Second St. for the expansion. The Walton Family Foundation awarded the project $408,000 through the Northwest Arkansas Design Excellence Program. The project also received another $1 million from the foundation for construction.
Burroughs has said renovating the 1948 building will more than double the museum’s space. The museum at 322 S. Second St. is about 5,600 square feet. The Hailey Ford building is about 14,278 square feet.
A renovation of the former youth center at 300 W. Poplar St. also is part of the museum’s expansion. The building will house the museum’s collection.
Renovations included the museum’s shop building and annex, which is used for public programming such as field trips, historic clubs, quilt guilds and museum educators’ offices.