As the Huron County Museum looks for suitable off-site storage, county council was provided with a costing estimate.
In February 2024, the county’s Cultural Services department provided a report outlining the need for off-site storage, as the existing storage space was finite and undersized to house museum collections.
Council had approved a motion for the museum to find alternatives.
In addition to finding a solution that was the right size, it was also important to meet the criteria for the ability to house artifacts, which typically involves appropriate environmental controls.
In order to build an appropriate facility, it would cost the county $10,872,180 for a new building. It’s estimated that furnishing, fixtures, and equipment would add an additional 8-10% to the cost, which at the high end would be an estimated $12 million.
Cultural Services recommended that staff finance the construction through a debenture with Infrastructure Ontario.
Compared to similar projects by neighbouring counties, this estimate is typical.
Bruce County council was presented with an estimated cost for around $13.5 million for a 12,000 square foot expansion for their museum, while Simcoe County Museum recently broke ground for their $16 million, 11,600 square foot expansion project.
Cultural Services also investigated the cost of leasing current available space. As of last month, only one potential space was found. It was a 3,000 square foot warehouse space in Wingham for $4,500 per month.
The Huron County Museum is looking to increase its space by 25,000 square feet of climate-controlled storage to properly preserve its current collection, while still providing adequate room for future growth.
