GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) - A fundraising campaign to rejuvenate part of the Stuhr Museum in Grand Island has raised more than $7.3 million.
The money was raised as part of the Gem of the Prairie campaign, which began in September 2012 with a goal of $7 million, The Grand Island Independent reported (https://bit.ly/1i46LJ1 ). The money will be used to give the Stuhr Building “a much-needed renovation and infrastructure update,” according to Pam Price, executive director of the Stuhr Museum Foundation.
Work on will begin this month with asbestos abatement, which is scheduled to be done by mid-March. Officials also plan to demolish the building’s interior and physical systems. The majority of construction is expected to be complete by May 2015, and a grand opening is planned for July 2015.
Exhibits normally displayed in the Stuhr Building, which was built in 1967, will be temporarily relocated to venues throughout the community.
Joe Black, the museum’s executive director, said the museum was started as a way to preserve Hall County history but has evolved since it opened more than 40 years ago.
“The demographics, the people and how the county works are totally different than what they were in 1967,” Black told the newspaper. “The museum has reflected that and has evolved and changed so that we are an integral part of the county and the citizens’ lives.”
The museum’s mission is to preserve and portray the era of the pioneers who created the first communities in Nebraska.
“When we reached our goal in late December, it was a huge weight off of our shoulders,” Price said. “We are so tickled, as many doubted we could raise $7 million, and we blew past it.”
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Information from: The Grand Island Independent, https://www.theindependent.com
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