Kane Area Children’s Museum location revealed
KANE - After much anticipation, the location of the new Kane Area Children’s Museum has been revealed.
According to Kane Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Kate Kennedy, the new museum will be located in the library and classrooms at the Chestnut Street Center with phase one of the project.
The Kane Area Children’s Museum Board of Directors is currently working with Dan and Missy Cleer, the current owners of the building on using the space.
Kennedy said the board chose the location because of its close location to the playground at Evergreen Park.
“It’s such a natural synergy there. The playground and then the Children’s Museum all right there is going to be such a great location,” she said.
She added that the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum consultants the board has been working with on the museum project are in favor of the chosen space at the Chestnut Street Center.
“They came up and spent two days here and they are in love with the space too. So that just reassured us that we are in the right direction.”
The area is about 3,500 square feet and will utilize the library area and the loft within the library, the classrooms and the former art room.
“It just has so much character. Not only is it the perfect space for this, but it’s going to bring back a lot of good memories to people too,” Kennedy said.
The board wrote a grant proposal to the West Penn Power Sustainability Energy Fund and was awarded funding for an energy study within the space. Donna Zariczny, an architect with Inscale Architects in Warren, will be doing a survey and feasibility study.
Although the physical space won’t be available for awhile, Kennedy said the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum consultants have been working with the museum board to develop a capital campaign, a business plan and operating funds.
In the meantime, some programing and events will be scheduled focusing on children, the arts and innovation with the first event happening on Alumni Weekend, which is Friday, June 23 through Sunday, June 25. That Saturday, June 24 there will be a children’s activity outside on the lawn of the Chestnut Street Center.
Kennedy said the idea for having events ahead of having a physical building is to start getting people excited about the new Children’s Museum.
“As a board, we’re ready to get things going and so we thought let’s not wait until we have the building. Let’s start building relationships with people and show what we’re about,” she said.
The Children's Museum was recently granted 501c3 status as a nonprofit organization and can now begin taking donations through their own separate nonprofit. Donations for the museum were previously being taken through the Kane Area Revitalization Enterprise (K.A.R.E.) 501c3 organization.
“We couldn't have done without K.A.R.E.'S help for that first year,” Kennedy said. “We're completely separate now and we're on our own two feet, but they were the ones that believed in us and gave us their help for us to get off the ground.”