Young At Art museum fights takeover.

Young At Art, a nationally acclaimed children’s museum in Davie, is fighting for its life and that of its preschool under the threat of a county takeover.

Tensions between Broward County and the nonprofit museum have grown increasingly strained — to the point of snapping — since the two entered a partnership 10 years ago. The museum was to repay millions in construction costs, but was unable to do so. The deal has been rewritten, and the museum still stands accused of withholding money it owes.

Things took a nasty turn last week when the county prepared a vote to take over the museum, and Young At Art filed a lawsuit to stop it. The county’s appointment to the museum board, assistant to the county administrator Gretchen Cassini, resigned from it Tuesday “upon advice of counsel.”

“We don’t want to be in an adversarial position with the county,” Museum Board Chairman David DiPietro said, “but we were left with no other choice.”

“I’m appalled, absolutely ap- palled, that we’re in this spot right now,” Commissioner Lois Wexler said, “and I’m very disappointed.”

The soured deal still could be salvaged. The county will offer a selling price to the museum this week, and if an agreement isn’t reached by Nov. 15, commissioners said, it’s over.

“We either cut a deal or we go to war,” Commissioner Mark Bogen said. “Peace or war.”

DiPietro said the nonprofit doesn’t know whether it can afford to buy the building, but hasn’t been given a price. He said the county hastily placed Tuesday’s vote on the agenda without giving the museum time to properly prepare.

“The county can’t just take a business away,” DiPietro said.

The lawsuit likely will be put on