St. Joseph City Commissioners are thinking about the future of the Curious Kids Museum. Following a fire that closed the museum in July, talks started about how to rebuild. Museum Director Lori Marciniak told city commissioners this past week the damage was more extensive than originally thought. She said if major work is needed, it would make sense to her to do some improvements.
“I would like the museum to be even more inspiring for children, and I don’t believe the current structure of the building really helps that,” Marciniak said. “I think from the minute you walk in, it looks tired.”
The city needs to be involved because it owns the building. Mayor Laura Goos said one possibility is fixing the existing building. There are two others.
“The building goes under significant remodel/change of potential footprint,” Goos said. “Option three is this building doesn’t stay and a new building emerges.”
Marciniak said the museum’s annual gala is coming up and she’ll get information from supporters. One possibility is transferring ownership from the city to the museum. Commissioners said they want to wait for insurance and architect estimates before settling on a vision with the museum.
