Palo Alto's effort to build a downtown history museum will hit a critical milestone next week, when the City Council approves the final document that is required before construction can commence.
The council is scheduled to approve on Monday, April 17, a tenant letter with Palo Alto Museum, a nonprofit that for well over a decade has been spearheading a plan to build a local history museum. The new museum will occupy the Roth Building, a historic, city-owned building at 300 Homer Ave. that once housed the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, the forerunner to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. The building long ago fell into a state of disrepair.
Once the tenant letter is approved, rehabilitation of the Roth Building could start within a month, according to a report from the city's Administrative Services Department. Under the plan, construction would stretch for most of 2024 and the new museum would open its doors to the public at the end of that year or in early 2025.
The opening of the museum would be the culmination of nearly 20 years of effort, a journey that was delayed by funding challenges and inconsistent political support. The project picked up momentum over the past two years, with most council members strongly supporting the project. In December, council members approved a 40-year lease with Palo Alto Museum and a license agreement to allow the city to use the museum to store its historic archives.
The approval of the tenant letter was delayed, however, as the city worked with the federal government to clarify the requirements for a $3 million grant, which was secured by Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Menlo Park, through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The money will help cover the costs of the rehabilitation, which is currently estimated at $11.9 million but which could increase, according to staff. Museum staff also are hoping to use a portion of the federal grant for future phases of the project, namely to furnish the museum and install exhibits.
"This grant is a critical funding source to ensure this project can proceed, and parties have worked to meet the requirements and adjusted terms and conditions to provide sufficient time for these funds to be made available," the city report states.
Once the building is rehabilitated enough so that the museum can move in, the nonprofit will proceed with installing exhibits. Some of the features that would immediately be available to the public include the city archives, the community center spaces and a working exhibit in the main gallery of the building, according to Rich Green, president of the Palo Alto Museum board of directors, who spoke with the Palo Alto Weekly in December.
The museum is contributing $1.85 million to the rehabilitation, which includes $850,000 in donations it has received and $978,825 from the $3 million federal grant.
The remaining $10.2 million will come from city and county sources and from proceeds the museum has received through sales of "transferable development rights.” These sales netted $4.9 million for the rehabilitation.
The city is also contributing $2 million from its development agreement with Stanford University Medical Center and $1.65 million from impact fees designated for improving community centers, an allocation that will require the museum to designate space for community use. It is also adding $350,000 in park impact fees, with the understanding that the museum would include restrooms that would be accessible to visitors of nearby Heritage Park. Finally, the project is getting $300,000 from the city's library impact fees, which will help offset the costs of building a city archive room that will store troves of historical city documents.
Both the city and the museum are preparing for stronger collaboration once the project transitions from concept to reality. On April 10, the Palo Alto Museum helped the council celebrate Palo Alto Day by compiling information about famous residents from the city's earliest days — information that the council used to pass a series of proclamations. At the end of the event, Mayor Lydia Kou gave kudos to the Palo Alto Museum for its role in helping to preserve local history.
"I look forward to the museum starting construction soon and working together on many projects to come in, including more celebrations of the persons and events that have had long-lasting and positive impacts on this place that we call home, Palo Alto," Kou said.
Comments
Registered user
South of Midtown
on Apr 13, 2023 at 11:03 am
Registered user
on Apr 13, 2023 at 11:03 am
They raised $850,000 for a $12,000,000 project and stuck the rest of us with the remaining $11,150,000? Brilliant!
Registered user
University South
on Apr 13, 2023 at 2:50 pm
Registered user
on Apr 13, 2023 at 2:50 pm
Thank you, Gennady, for your timely update on the Museum's progress with City Hall. We will soon have the completed 40-year lease, which will enable us to start the construction process. The City and Museum are partners in this endeavour. You correctly point out that the Museum will be contributing $1.85 Million toward the rehabilitation and that number will surely go up. The Museum has already invested well over $3M in the project. The $3M HUD grant obtained by the Museum and championed by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo will help immeasurably as will the Historic Preservation Grants the Museum has secured from the County of Santa Clara. It's also important to clarify that, except for $1M wisely allocated to repair the back wall, the "City" contribution is not from taxpayer funds. The funds identified to rehabilitate this City-owned building come from Transferable Development Rights (TDR) and Impact Fees, which utilize other sources and are reserved exclusively for this kind of project. We have earned and are grateful to have access to these funds. Our deepest appreciation goes to Mayor Lydia Kou, our former Mayors and so many City Council Members who have seen the wisdom of supporting this worthy project. And to the hundreds of faithful donors and volunteers who have kept the project alive for many years. All should be proud of these accomplishments. With gratitude, Rich Green, President, Palo Alto Museum.
Registered user
Stanford
on Apr 13, 2023 at 4:53 pm
Registered user
on Apr 13, 2023 at 4:53 pm
I am looking forward to exploring the exhibits that will exemplify the history, vitality, and social consciousness of historical Palo Alto.
Registered user
another community
on Apr 13, 2023 at 4:55 pm
Registered user
on Apr 13, 2023 at 4:55 pm
More millions spent on revitalizing decrepit unsound buildings that will sit there and generate zero income and zero taxes, and nothing spent on new (QUALITY) affordable housing. Way to go.
Registered user
Palo Verde
on Apr 13, 2023 at 7:45 pm
Registered user
on Apr 13, 2023 at 7:45 pm
In 20 years so many things change. It is honorable for us to remember the history of Palo Alto and I am wondering whether a museum makes sense now. With a severe lack of affordable housing, a crisis in mental-health especially among the young and elder population, and a deterioration of sense of community is a museum helpful? If it is, how so?
Perhaps I am lacking information about the museum. Is more than just the building rehabilitation funded? Is the rehab for the existing building footprint or does it add space? Will it be interactive? Will it host educational activities? Will it host community-building activities? Will it strive for Palo Altans to learn from our history? How will it connect to address the needs of Palo Alto right here, right now?
Am looking forward to another article that goes more in-depth. Thank you.
Registered user
Crescent Park
on Apr 14, 2023 at 8:22 am
Registered user
on Apr 14, 2023 at 8:22 am
This project is such a self-important boondoggle. Maybe it is indeed a fantastic embodiment of new Palo Alto, history aside.
Registered user
Los Altos
on Apr 14, 2023 at 8:55 am
Registered user
on Apr 14, 2023 at 8:55 am
Los Altos has a nice historical museum that changes its exhibits regularly.
It is housed in a modern facility and there is a courtyard that can be rented for receptions.
Being a former leading-edge Silicon Valley city, the Palo Alto Museum should consider upping its game by being situated in a more high-tech modern building that PA residents can be proud of rather than some decrepit and passe Birge Clark design. There are enough of those older types of buildings on Hamilton Avenue and Ramona Street.
It is time to grace the current millennium with architecture more reflective of our modern times.
Registered user
Old Palo Alto
on Apr 16, 2023 at 12:13 am
Registered user
on Apr 16, 2023 at 12:13 am
“Once the building is rehabilitated enough so that the museum can move in, the nonprofit will proceed w installing exhibits. Some of the features that would immediately b available 2 the public include the city archives, the community center spaces “ What does Community spaces mean? Will La Comida b invited 2 serve lunches 2 our low income seniors, under a solid roof, away from wind, raid, heat, cold? Can someone please fill me in on the history of PaloAlto — our inclusion, our equity & our fairness 2 all. I advocate the first exhibits be about the (Le)land Stanford eugenics, horse profiteering & land grabs. The second be about redlining, exclusion, discrimination & prejudice of those of origins other than white, married & w children. What about the Supreme Court ruling that guarantees 400 EPA students accessible access of a public education & thus “bussed” to PA. WWII & how our community about faced on African Americans after that War was won. About all I see in Palo Alto History is greed, capitalism, real estate, & engineering a future w/out a human workforce. Eichler? He made oodles using asbestos, plywood & aluminum — all sold as permanent shelter. Women's History preferred : primarily Lucy Stern, Josephine Duvenek, Gerta Isenberg. Their legacy stands strong at the walls they fought to erect for human, last Century. Honor history thru active change, not a physical structure!! Q: is Stanford history apart from Palo Alto? Wallace Stegner, Grateful Dead, Grace Slick, Joan Bias? What how who and when has Palo Alto “got history” ? How does history “literally” move in to a building? Absolutely no indication of who or how this “museum” will b staffed or operated. To me, the PAMF building is designated as a city archive depository w a couple of “community” rooms available 2 a select few. Is the Williamson Home AKA the American Heritage Museum across, going 2 b co-joined? After all, Dr. Williamson & Dr. Lee’s PAMF r historically intrinsically entwined.
Registered user
Menlo Park
on Apr 17, 2023 at 4:06 pm
Registered user
on Apr 17, 2023 at 4:06 pm
Does Stanford University still have an Architectural Department?
Perhaps Stanford and Palo Alto could team-up on this project with Stanford providing the design and Palo Alto footing the construction and operating costs.
That old run-down medical building should be torn down and replaced with a building that all Palo Altabs can be proud of.