Construction crews have gutted much of the Valentine Richmond History Center as part of the museum’s $4.1 million overhaul. Photos by Evelyn Rupert.
Feeling more confident in their funding for the first time since the recession, local museums are opening their coffers and fueling their own small construction boom in the nonprofit sector.
More than $80 million worth of renovations and upgrade projects are in the works at four Richmond museums.
Renovation work at the Valentine Richmond History Center and the Virginia Historical Society is well under way. And construction of new and updated spaces for the American Civil War Center and the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia is about to begin.
The museums say these are projects that were put on the back burner until the economy regained some strength.
Valentine spokesman Domenick Casuccio said during the downturn, nonprofits across the country were just trying to keep their doors open and their employees paid.
“All of these plans were mostly in place then, but now they’re finally coming to fruition,” he said.
The Valentine’s visitor center is under renovation.
The Valentine Richmond History Center on East Clay Street is wrapping up its $8.6-million “Gallery Campaign,” a complete renovation of public spaces designed to make the 50,000-square-feet museum more open and accessible.
Casuccio said the organization has just $482,000 left to fundraise.
The renovations include new exhibits, special galleries and event space and an updated gift shop, lobby and education center.
Additional funds are being put toward endowment and operating costs.
Construction started in November and is slated to wrap up by the end of August. The museum’s two floors of public galleries are closed during the renovations. Its Wickham House, Valentine Sculpture Studio and the onsite Sally Bell’s Kitchen café have remained open during construction. The renovated museum is expected to fully reopen to the public on Oct. 25.
The work is the final phase in a series of capital campaigns to overhaul the museum. The entire project cost about $23 million.
The Virginia Historical Society on North Boulevard also saw an opportunity for an expensive makeover.
Crews just finished a new office space in the 200,000 square-foot museum as part of a $38 million overhaul. The museum has raised about $31 million toward its overall goal.
“If you drive by on the Boulevard, you’ll see they’re beginning to put up construction fencing to start work on the Boulevard plaza,” said Paul Levengood, chief executive of the Virginia Historical Society.
VHS has budgeted $20 million dollars for capital projects, including public space renovations, a larger Story of Virginia exhibition, the construction of a pedestrian-friendly Boulevard plaza and the creation of a multi-classroom learning center, the VHS said.
About $8 million will go to a new website, mural restoration, and making research collections more accessible online, among other projects, the group said. Another $10 million will be put into an endowment for future operations.
The Leigh Street Armory is the future home of the Black History Museum.
The VHS library and shop is open during construction, but the exhibits are closed. The work is expected to be completed by the end of May.
Work to transform the historic Leigh Street Armory in Jackson Ward into the new Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia should begin in September.
Stacy Burrs, chief executive of the museum, said even though construction has been delayed, the museum is still on track to open in 2015, in time for the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery.
“It has been a labor of love,” he said. “It’s challenging. It’s the most challenging thing I’ve ever done but it’s been exciting … We expect to set a high bar for the group that comes behind us.”
The work will cost about $13 million – $8 million for construction and the rest for an endowment and operational costs. Burrs declined to say how much has been raised so far but said he is confident the museum will reach its goal.
“The community’s been very generous and supportive,” he said.
The organization is working with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to renovate the 24,000-square-foot armory space, the one-time home to the First Battalion Virginia Volunteers Infantry, Richmond’s first African American regiment.
Burrs said it will take a significant amount of work to turn the armory into a museum, including the installation of a mechanical system and elevators. The project will expand the building by several thousand square feet and improve accessibility.
The American Civil War Museum is also putting up the funding for a large addition.
The museum, a merger of the American Civil War Center and the Museum of the Confederacy, will be 60,000 square feet when work is completed, which includes a new 30,000-square-foot building.
Historic Tredegar, currently the home of the American Civil War Center, will be the location of a new museum combining the civil war center and the Museum of the Confederacy. Photo by Brandy Brubaker.
The American Civil War Museum has raised $24 million of the $30 million it needs for the work and an endowment to run it, spokesman Sam Craghead said.
The museum, located at the 8.9-acre Tredegar Iron Works site, is expected open in mid-2016. Construction is expected to begin in November or December.
“They do not want to do this wrong just to get a quick date and get it open,” Craghead said.
Craghead said the museum is looking at ways to use unexplored parts of the Tredegar site, including canal ruins and waterways.
The improved museum site will have better walkways and might even have a stage for outdoor events.
The funds to support these projects have come from a variety of sources. Some of the work for the Black History Museum will be funded with a $600,000 matching grant from the state, a $500,000 donation from Dominion, and grants of $300,000 each from the Cabell and Parsons foundations.
Craghead said the American Civil War Museum’s donations have been coming in the form of five-figure gifts from various private individuals. The museum has not publicly identified the donors at this point.
The Virginia Historical Society received a “major gift” from the Herndon Foundation, largely funded by the Gottwald family.
“Richmond is an incredibly generous community,” Levengood. “It’s obviously a fertile time because people are doing great things.”
Clarification: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that the Valentine Richmond History Center has been closed during its renovations. The museums two floors of galleries are closed while work is underway but its Wickham House, Valentine Sculpture Studio and Sally Bell’s Kitchen café have remained open during construction.
Construction crews have gutted much of the Valentine Richmond History Center as part of the museum’s $4.1 million overhaul. Photos by Evelyn Rupert.
Feeling more confident in their funding for the first time since the recession, local museums are opening their coffers and fueling their own small construction boom in the nonprofit sector.
More than $80 million worth of renovations and upgrade projects are in the works at four Richmond museums.
Renovation work at the Valentine Richmond History Center and the Virginia Historical Society is well under way. And construction of new and updated spaces for the American Civil War Center and the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia is about to begin.
The museums say these are projects that were put on the back burner until the economy regained some strength.
Valentine spokesman Domenick Casuccio said during the downturn, nonprofits across the country were just trying to keep their doors open and their employees paid.
“All of these plans were mostly in place then, but now they’re finally coming to fruition,” he said.
The Valentine’s visitor center is under renovation.
The Valentine Richmond History Center on East Clay Street is wrapping up its $8.6-million “Gallery Campaign,” a complete renovation of public spaces designed to make the 50,000-square-feet museum more open and accessible.
Casuccio said the organization has just $482,000 left to fundraise.
The renovations include new exhibits, special galleries and event space and an updated gift shop, lobby and education center.
Additional funds are being put toward endowment and operating costs.
Construction started in November and is slated to wrap up by the end of August. The museum’s two floors of public galleries are closed during the renovations. Its Wickham House, Valentine Sculpture Studio and the onsite Sally Bell’s Kitchen café have remained open during construction. The renovated museum is expected to fully reopen to the public on Oct. 25.
The work is the final phase in a series of capital campaigns to overhaul the museum. The entire project cost about $23 million.
The Virginia Historical Society on North Boulevard also saw an opportunity for an expensive makeover.
Crews just finished a new office space in the 200,000 square-foot museum as part of a $38 million overhaul. The museum has raised about $31 million toward its overall goal.
“If you drive by on the Boulevard, you’ll see they’re beginning to put up construction fencing to start work on the Boulevard plaza,” said Paul Levengood, chief executive of the Virginia Historical Society.
VHS has budgeted $20 million dollars for capital projects, including public space renovations, a larger Story of Virginia exhibition, the construction of a pedestrian-friendly Boulevard plaza and the creation of a multi-classroom learning center, the VHS said.
About $8 million will go to a new website, mural restoration, and making research collections more accessible online, among other projects, the group said. Another $10 million will be put into an endowment for future operations.
The Leigh Street Armory is the future home of the Black History Museum.
The VHS library and shop is open during construction, but the exhibits are closed. The work is expected to be completed by the end of May.
Work to transform the historic Leigh Street Armory in Jackson Ward into the new Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia should begin in September.
Stacy Burrs, chief executive of the museum, said even though construction has been delayed, the museum is still on track to open in 2015, in time for the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery.
“It has been a labor of love,” he said. “It’s challenging. It’s the most challenging thing I’ve ever done but it’s been exciting … We expect to set a high bar for the group that comes behind us.”
The work will cost about $13 million – $8 million for construction and the rest for an endowment and operational costs. Burrs declined to say how much has been raised so far but said he is confident the museum will reach its goal.
“The community’s been very generous and supportive,” he said.
The organization is working with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to renovate the 24,000-square-foot armory space, the one-time home to the First Battalion Virginia Volunteers Infantry, Richmond’s first African American regiment.
Burrs said it will take a significant amount of work to turn the armory into a museum, including the installation of a mechanical system and elevators. The project will expand the building by several thousand square feet and improve accessibility.
The American Civil War Museum is also putting up the funding for a large addition.
The museum, a merger of the American Civil War Center and the Museum of the Confederacy, will be 60,000 square feet when work is completed, which includes a new 30,000-square-foot building.
Historic Tredegar, currently the home of the American Civil War Center, will be the location of a new museum combining the civil war center and the Museum of the Confederacy. Photo by Brandy Brubaker.
The American Civil War Museum has raised $24 million of the $30 million it needs for the work and an endowment to run it, spokesman Sam Craghead said.
The museum, located at the 8.9-acre Tredegar Iron Works site, is expected open in mid-2016. Construction is expected to begin in November or December.
“They do not want to do this wrong just to get a quick date and get it open,” Craghead said.
Craghead said the museum is looking at ways to use unexplored parts of the Tredegar site, including canal ruins and waterways.
The improved museum site will have better walkways and might even have a stage for outdoor events.
The funds to support these projects have come from a variety of sources. Some of the work for the Black History Museum will be funded with a $600,000 matching grant from the state, a $500,000 donation from Dominion, and grants of $300,000 each from the Cabell and Parsons foundations.
Craghead said the American Civil War Museum’s donations have been coming in the form of five-figure gifts from various private individuals. The museum has not publicly identified the donors at this point.
The Virginia Historical Society received a “major gift” from the Herndon Foundation, largely funded by the Gottwald family.
“Richmond is an incredibly generous community,” Levengood. “It’s obviously a fertile time because people are doing great things.”
Clarification: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that the Valentine Richmond History Center has been closed during its renovations. The museums two floors of galleries are closed while work is underway but its Wickham House, Valentine Sculpture Studio and Sally Bell’s Kitchen café have remained open during construction.