Museum moving to library?
By SARA ROSS, Orillia Packet Times
The Orillia Museum of Art and History (OMAH) could be moving into the new Orillia Public Library.
"Given the space needs of OMAH, and the space available at the library building, moving OMAH to the new building appears to be a reasonable solution in the short to intermediate term if OMAH is amenable to such a move," states a staff report.
On June, 27 council requested a staff report dealing with the optimization of city-owned building assets.
This report will be discussed by council committee Monday night.
The report recommends, "council consider recommending locations for the Orillia Museum of Art and History other than the Sir Sam Steele building."
It also recommends that "council considers uses for the library building space which would be complementary to the primary library use."
It suggests OMAH will be able to increase programming and in turn increase museum revenue if it moves to the library.
At some point in the future as Orillia grows, a long-term solution will need to be developed for OMAH, the report adds.
If OMAH moves into the library, the Sir Sam Steele building, a heritage-designated building, could be sold, it states.
The report says Orillia will receive approximately $630,500 from the sale.
Simcoe North MP Bruce Stanton will be making an announcement at OMAH on Wednesday. The details of this announcement will not be made public until then.
OMAH has applied for a Canada Cultural Spaces Fund grant that will allow it to expand the museum to the unused upper levels. The museum has also applied for a $50,000 Enabling Accessibility Fund grant for an elevator.
The space optimization report examined eight city-owned properties.
Staff also recommend selling 150 Front St. S., the former CN Station currently used by the Chamber of Commerce and licence bureau.
The Mount Slaven School property could also be surplused and sold, the report states.
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OMAH gets $975,000
By SARA ROSS Packet & Times
Updated 8 hours ago
A $975,000 injection into the Orillia Museum of Art and History (OMAH) is a "game changer," says Mayor Angelo Orsi.
Simcoe North MP Bruce Stanton made the federal funding announcement at the Peter Street South museum this morning.
At Monday's council committee meeting, city politicians discussed the possibility of moving OMAH out of the Sir Sam Steele building.
"With the money here from the government we can now provide the accessibility and more space, so we don't have to move," Orsi said.
The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund grant will be used to renovate the second and third floors. This includes an addition to the second floor for a classroom.
The clock tower will be opened to the public along with the basement jail cells.
The project will cost about $2 million. Orillia's past council promised OMAH $475,000 if the grant money came through.
Orsi says this decision has to be ratified, but it "looks positive."
"It's not every day you turn down $1 million," he added.
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