Arizona Museum for Youth Gets Go-Ahead for Remodel

Meas, AZ – On Monday the Mesa City Council approved $123,519 for the Arizona Museum for Youth to remodel.

Both the museum and the public seem to be looking forward to the finished project that will feature an expansion of Artville, the popular children’s gallery, a new gift shop, a modified lobby and handicap-accessible doors. The changes should increase revenue and improve circulation, said Sunnee Spencer, Executive Director of AMY.

Recent budget cuts forced AMY to get rid of many employees, so some vacant offices will turn into public space as a part of the 3,500 sq. ft. remodel, Spencer said.

Between the completion of the project and the money saved by having fewer employees, Spencer said she expects to bring in “a minimum of $50,000” more in annual revenue and attract over 20 percent more visitors for the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

One AMY regular and member, Rebekah Jennings, said she will likely go to the museum more often when the renovations are complete. She also said she will spend more money. “My 6 year-old son loves the gift shop, and I let him spend his allowance in there. I’ll start buying birthday gifts in there, too,” Jennings said.

Jennings is not the only one to anticipate the new gift shop opening.

“I was kind of bummed that that there wasn’t something for me to buy (my daughter) to remember this” another visitor, Sonya Goodfellow, said.

In order to keep up with the demand that fewer employees, less funding from the city and more guests will entail, Spencer said AMY “will be utilizing volunteers in ways we never have before.”

The money for the project will come from cultural impact fees. Every property’s developer in Mesa pays impact fees, which pay for various things such as roads and infrastructure, said Mesa Vice Mayor Kyle Jones. Cultural impact fees, however, “can only be used for expanding cultural facilities,” Jones said.

Cultural impact fees basically only pay for the blocks and mortar, so AMY relies on grants and donations for any other additions, Spencer said.

The Timken Foundation, for example, donated $20,000 for a caterpillar-shaped structure called “Art-i-pillar,” Spencer said. The public can also look forward to new and existing programs to be held in the classroom that will be built adjacent to Artville, she said.

Spencer picked the lowest bidder out of about 100 bids to remodel AMY. “The original estimate was almost two-thirds more (than $123,519), so this has been a real blessing,” she said.

Because of the collapsing economy, Spencer said she delayed the expansion for one year while she waited for the right time.

Construction will begin in mid-October and last 90 days, according to Spencer. AMY will remain open and “most of the work will take place during off hours,” said Spencer.

A re-grand opening type of event is scheduled to take place on Feb. 26, 2010, at AMY, located at 35 N. Robson, Mesa, Ariz.

Chelci Vaughan, Student
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Technorati Tags: Arizona, Arizona Museum for Youth, Mesa