As the Creative Discovery Museum celebrates 25 years in Chattanooga, it is planning a $10 million renovation to boost its appeal to new generations of kids and expand its impact on the community.
Museum leaders and supporters gathered Thursday for the launch of an ambitious capital campaign aimed at generating the remaining funding for the project, after behind-the-scenes fundraising that started at the end of this summer succeeded in racking up about $5.6 million, according to Katie Hanners, the museum's director of advancement.
"We've had some really significant, wonderful donors," she added, although the campaign isn't yet ready to reveal their names.
This would mark only the second time the 43,000-square-foot building has received a facelift since opening in 1995. In 2004-05, the museum installed its Rooftop Fun Factory and changed the Water Works exhibit to the RiverPlay exhibit. Those changes were not funded through a capital campaign, however.
"The museum has served our community well for the last 25 years," said Executive Director Henry Schulson. "To advance our vision and mission, we must invest in our building, exhibits and outreach programs so that the next generation has high quality, hands-on learning experiences in the arts and sciences that are imperative to the development of every child."
Before finalizing its plans, the museum conducted a feasibility study in 2018, Hanners said, interviewing a total of 55 community leaders, asking them how the museum could better serve the Chattanooga region. The study identified a number of community challenges that the museum's campaign could address in addition to the renovation of the facility, including:
- Strengthening early childhood education and science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) learning
- Increasing access for all children regardless of background and ability
- Helping revitalize the Riverfront District
"In addition to facility renovations, this campaign addresses each of the needs by updating and installing new exhibits, expanding outreach programs and creating a new, vibrant urban space on the CDM Plaza," reads a news release on the campaign.
The museum now sees about 250,000 visitors a year, while outreach efforts such as visiting area schools impact about 50,000 children a year, Hanners said.
"We have a significant outreach program," she said. "We provide lessons in classrooms that align with state standards."
More than 5 million visitors have walked through the front door since the museum opened in 1995, and the museum now generates $13.2 million annually in economic activity, creating 162 jobs in the Chattanooga metro area, according to a May 2019 impact study by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga distinguished professor of finance Dr. Bento Lobo.
Following the investment of $10 million, the total impact of the museum could account for 258 jobs and $26.8 million in annual economic activity, the study found.
It's that potential impact on the community, in addition to increased learning opportunities, that campaign organizers are essentially selling as they seek to generate donations, an effort Hanners said should wrap up by the spring.
"We're pushing hard because we want to complete this campaign," she said. "We will actually start the renovations this summer."
The first step will be the relocation of the museum's executive offices, set to begin in July. Currently taking up about half of the space on the second floor of the museum, those offices will move across the street into the building at 401 Chestnut St., freeing up room for plenty of new exhibit space, Hanners said.
"Among the things people really told us they want to see more of is a super-strong focus on STEAM," she said. "So in doing the renovation, we'll have two new science galleries."
The museum will double the size of its early childhood exhibit Little Yellow House, transforming it into the Little Farm House, allowing toddlers to immerse themselves in a space showcasing farm-to-market production of food. Next door, the PlayGym will teach parents age-appropriate activities to aid in the development of the museum's youngest visitors.
Meanwhile, the museum's current space for rotating visiting cultural arts exhibits will be expanded to provide space for two celebrations such as the Guatemalan Kite Festival and Chinese New Year. A third space will feature a permanent exhibit highlighting the customs and traditions of Chattanooga's diverse cultures.
The STEMzone, geared toward older children, will be charged with building "skills required of a future ready workforce," where kids can design and build their own car or rocket while developing critical thinking, problem solving and reasoning skills.
Two of the most popular exhibits - RiverPlay and Dinosaur Dig - will remain, but will be beefed up and renewed.
"RiverPlay will see a pretty significant overhaul," Hanners said.
"Essentially, it's a complete renovation and overhaul of the building," she added.
Renovation work will kick off in the fall, with the RiverPlay exhibit going under the knife first. Individual areas will be closed and then reopened as work progresses, so that the Creative Discovery Museum can remain open to the public with a minimum of interruption, Hanners said.
"The majority of the work will be done in 2021, and we may have to go into 2022, but we're hoping to have it mostly done in 2021," she said.
Renovations to the lobby area will be the last part of the project, she added.
The front of the building will be extended outward about 20 feet.
"This will allow us to readdress the lobby and cafe, the walkways, and improve safety and security," she said.
The rooftop area will also be built out a bit to add to the total square footage of the building without making extensive additions to its footprint.
Plans are for the rooftop play area to serve as a major draw to the museum itself and the riverfront in general, Hanners added. The Tree House Adventure will feature plenty of colorful designs and multi-tiered climbing areas that will be highly visible from Highway 27, adding to the "Riverfront Gateway" to Chattanooga.
Meanwhile, the plaza at the front of the building will be turned into a "vibrant, attractive civic space for local families and tourists to gather and interact," campaign materials read. "The Plaza will feature a unique and interactive public art installation that will serve as a new attraction and destination point as the most 'Instagrammable' location in the Riverfront District."
Project leaders have anticipated the renovations could generate a 10% bump in attendance for an annual revenue increase of $150,000. A planned entrance fee increase of $2 would increase revenue by an additional $160,000 a year, according to a slideshow presentation prepared for potential donors. Tickets now sell for $15.95 per person.
For more information on the Creative Discovery Museum's capital campaign, titled "Ignite Discovery: Creating the new CDM," visit ignitecdm.com.
Colin M. Stewart can be reached at cstewart@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6366.