MOSH is planning a $100 million museum on the Northbank in Downtown Jacksonville. | MOSH
Published on January 29, 2024 at 4:33 pm
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The Museum of Science & History missed its deadline to raise $40 million in private funds for the museum’s move to the Shipyards area of Downtown Jacksonville, but plans for its new, larger home are moving forward.
The museum faced a deadline of Dec. 31 to raise the money under a 40-year agreement with the city to lease land on the Northbank for $1 a year.
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Since the goal wasn’t reached, the city in late December extended the fundraising deadline until the end of June.
The lease agreement, approved by City Council in April, enables MOSH to build on 2.5 acres of city-owned land known as Lot X. MOSH plans a 100,000-square-foot museum with three floors and an option to expand by an additional 30,000 square feet. The museum also will design a park to surround the new museum.
A letter from the Downtown Investment Authority to MOSH CEO Bruce Fafard shows that MOSH now must secure at least $30 million in commitments by Feb. 29, at least $35 million by April 30 and at least $40 million by May 31. Legally binding agreements for the money must be in place by June 30.
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MOSH said in a statement that the organization is on track to reach the $40 million fundraising goal by the deadline, based on the current level of secured contributions, signed gift agreements and commitments it has received so far.
MOSH did not say how much money it has raised at this point. In an interview with Jacksonville Today in July, Fafard said the museum was close to reaching the $20 million mark.
RELATED: See drawings of MOSH’s new museum.
The museum has operated at 1025 Museum Circle on the Southbank since 1969. MOSH says it has outgrown the 77,000-square-foot quarters.
MOSH had planned to expand its existing building but encountered construction challenges. A consultant’s analysis found that a new 130,000-square-foot building on the Northbank would increase annual attendance from 175,000 to 469,000, nearly triple the museum’s pre-pandemic budget and create 78 jobs.
Construction of the new museum should take about 18 months. The current Southbank site will remain open during construction.
