NBTF Hall of Fame moving closer?
A building the Arts Council will purchase could be the future home of the venue and museum.
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Forsyth County Board of Commissioners approved funding for SciWorks’ move downtown and the Arts Council purchasing a building that could potentially be a future home for New Winston Museum and the National Black Theatre Festival Hall of Fame & Museum.
Building a new home for the combined SciWorks and Children’s Museum on the site of the old
Sheriff’s Office was among the bond issues the County Commissioners considered. Instead of putting it on the ballot, they decided to fund it another way. During its Monday, June 27, meeting, the commissioners voted 5-2 to approve a capital project ordinance dedicating $17.3 million to the project, with County Commissioners Walter Marshall and Richard Linville voting against it.
The money largely will come from the sale of surplus county land. Linville thought the amount was too much and opposed the sale of land. Marshall also opposed the sale of county land because the county might need to use it later.
SciWorks Director Paul Kortenaar said he expects it to take 18 months for planning and another 30 for construction and moving in to the new combined museum.
“We’ll move forward with appropriate haste to build the new museum,” he said.
Kortenaar said that $17.3 million will cover the construction but another $3 million will be needed for infra-structure costs later in the project. The museums will be raising $10 million for the exhibits themselves.
The commissioners also unanimously approved a $400,000 grant for the Arts Council to purchase a currently vacant 10,000-square-foot building at 419 Spruce Street. The building is next to UNC School of the Arts Sparrow Kortenaar Stevens Center
on Fourth Street downtown and may be used as part of potential expansion of the performance venue.
According to Arts Council President Jim Sparrow, the building is being considered as a new home for the New Winston Museum, currently located on South Marshall Street, and the NBTF Hall of Fame. It could act as a short-term and permanent home for the museums, which are discussing a possible joint operating strategy. He said if the decision is made to use the building for those museums, it could open by the time the NBTF happens next year.
“It’s a possibility we could do relatively quickly if that’s something they feel is aligned with what they want to do,” said Sparrow.
