Moving the Safety Harbor Museum of Regional History to Philippe Park would cost millions but likely increase patronage.
By MEGAN SCOTT
Published February 13, 2004
SAFETY HARBOR - In an attempt to save the financially struggling Safety Harbor Museum of Regional History, commissioners have approved seeking federal funding to move the museum to Philippe Park.
The move would cost about $2-million, which includes construction of a 4,000-square-foot building. The museum would feature exhibition galleries, a classroom, gift shop, restrooms, office library and meeting place with kitchenette.
The museum has been struggling to survive for years as the city and state have slashed funding for historical projects and grants become harder to find. The museum recently received a $3,300 state grant, half of what it normally receives. The money is enough to pay for the museum's operating costs for only a month.
"I have lived here for 17 years, and it seems they've always had trouble getting people in there and getting the finances to keep the museum going," Mayor Pam Corbino said. "This opens up a whole new avenue. If we are located in Philippe Park, people all over Pinellas County would know about it. We would become a destination in Pinellas County."
But some commissioners aren't as enthusiastic about the move. Three expressed concern about the city assuming greater responsibility for the museum.
While federal lobbyist Mike Carter thinks funding may be available through the Department of the Interior, commissioners worry that the financial burden would fall on the taxpayers.
Commissioner Robin Borland, who was on the losing end of a 4-1 vote, asked why the museum couldn't be viable in its current location.
"I just believe we haven't given it a chance in its current location," she said. "I'm having problems with the price tag of moving it."
Numbers show that the museum is not attracting enough visitors to cover operating costs of $70,000 annually. In 2002, only 6,000 people visited the museum, which employs just one full-time staffer. Philippe Park, on the other hand, sees more than 2-million visitors a year.
The museum is not in the public eye in its current location on Bayshore Boulevard, said Fritz Kirsch, president of the museum's board of trustees.
"I tell many of my friends "Go to the museum; see what we have,"' he said. "I have to give them directions on how to get there. Its visibility is not there, even for people who are dedicated to the idea of stopping in."
Moving the museum to Philippe Park would put it under the oversight of Pinellas County rather than the city, as it has been for years. The museum could focus on the area's pre-history, such as the Indian mound in the park, which is a state historic landmark.
The task force estimates that the museum could open two years from the time the federal grant money becomes available. The city would lease the land from the county but would be responsible for all the programs and maintenance of the building.
Corbino made it clear that the only thing commissioners were voting on at the Feb. 2 meeting was giving permission for Carter to search for federal funds. If the proposal receives no funding, the plan will more than likely be dropped.
The move also depends on what the County Commission decides at its Feb. 20 meeting. County commissioners would need to allow the museum to sell concessions and services, such as beverages, space to hold weddings and kayak rentals.
"When you open and have people from all over the county, they will come and see this quaint little place," Corbino said. "Just like they hear advertisements, people will hear about the museum at Philippe Park."
In the meantime, the museum will continue to operate from its current space, with an opening reception tonight for "Out of the Woods: Florida's Native Woods" exhibit, which features wood-carving artists from the Fort Myers area.
If you go
The Safety Harbor Museum of Regional History will have an opening reception for "Out of the Woods: Florida's Native Woods" from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. today. The exhibit features woodcarving artists from the Fort Myers area. Ten of the artists will be at the reception. The museum is at 329 Bayshore Blvd S. For information, call 726-1668.
