Commission hears plan for Riberia Pointe tonight

Kim MacEwan reported to Historic City News that the St Augustine City Commissioner will hear plans for a regional Children’s Museum being proposed for Riberia Pointe at the south end of Riberia Street, tonight at their meeting.

Architect Marc Newman, with PLACE Alliance and a member of the board of directors for the museum, will present plans for the development of this interactive educational facility.

Norm Gregory, Vice President of Economic Development for the St Johns County Chamber of Commerce, will present information as to the economic impact that the museum will have on the community; said to create 30 new jobs and projected to add $3 million annually to the local economy.

Newman and Gregory will present case studies from two other children’s museums – the Olympia’s Hands On Children’s Museum (Olympia, WA) and the Madison Wisconsin Children’s Museum, sharing both the capital investments that it took to create the museums, along with their impact on their local economies.

In addition to the positive economic benefit of the museum, the presenters will also emphasize the quality of life enhancements that will be brought to children and families from exhibits that focus on fundamental skills such as teaching science, math, technology, engineering, creative arts, nature and the environment.

Museum organizers expect the museum, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, to draw from an approximate 150 mile radius and service more than 75,000 visitors per year. In addition, its two phased-openings would be major components and legacy projects of the city’s 450th Commemoration.

Plans include 15,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space and 25,000 square feet of outdoor exhibit area, occupying a site of 1.4 acres.

The capital campaign for the museum has been active for the past year and has already raised $1.5 million in gifts and pledges. Additionally, Florida Blue came onboard this month as the museum’s first major corporate sponsor. Florida Blue’s generous donation will go to support the museum’s Healthy Gardens Program.

The museum site, being proposed as part of a larger project with other community components, is located in Lincolnville. Residents of Lincolnville, along with other interested members of the community, are invited to attend informational meetings being hosted by the museum.

The meeting schedule is:
Tuesday September 10, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the Galimore Center
Tuesday September 24, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at the St Johns County Library on U.S. 1

These meetings will present details of the proposed museum, provide a forum for questions, and accept volunteers to help with fundraising efforts and special projects.

If you plan to attend, the City Commission Meeting will be held tonight, September 9, beginning at 5:00 p.m. in the Alcazar Room of the City Hall Building located at 75 King Street in St Augustine. You can watch the meeting live on Comcast Government Television channel 3. New safety measures will require attendees to empty the contents of their pockets, subject their bags to search, and submit to an electronic frisk performed by uniformed police using handheld wands upon entry, or re-entry, to the meeting room. Allow sufficient additional time to accomplish this new safety measure.