The St. Joseph City Commission delayed taking any action again, refusing to vote on whether to sell the Curious Kids Museum property to the museum operators.
Prior to Monday’s St. Joseph City Commission meeting, the non-profit Curious Kids Museum offered $500,000 to buy the building they’re in with the promise to invest millions of dollars to curate a world-class children’s museum.
City officials say they like the new offer, but countered with a contingency that includes a first right of refusal provision to buy the building back if museum operators ever change course.
At Monday’s meeting, Museum Director Lori Marciniak told the commission the city’s contingency provision amounts to a poison pill for fundraising and financing.
“The (Curious Kids Museum) Board of Directors does not agree to enter into a land contract for the purchase of Memorial Hall due to the financing restrictions of the land contract and the immediate termination of the lease, posing a risk of losing the current lease.”
Commissioners resisted voting whether to accept the Museum’s $500,000 clean purchase offer without Commissioner Mike Sarola present. Sarola has been absent from the last several meetings. The commission instead suggested moving the issue to the October 9 meeting when Sarola is expected to return.
Mayor Laura Goos also suggested a work session take place before the October 9 meeting to consider an idea offered during public comment that would combine the Curious Kids Museum with the Discovery Zone at Shadowland Pavilion.
Director Marciniak has previously stated that the concept of moving the museum to a multi-use, vertical space has proven problematic at other museums that have attempted that approach.
