SCHENECTADY — A proposal is currently being developed by state and county officials to ensure the Museum of Innovation and Science (miSci) remains in Schenectady.
Following a Thursday tour of the Nott Terrace museum, Schenectady County Legislature Chair Gary Hughes and Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, D-Rotterdam, concluded that there is a feasible way to keep miSci in the city, potentially through renovations to its existing location.
On Friday, Hughes revealed that a proposal, which includes both state and county funding to maintain the museum at its current location, could be presented to miSci in the near future.
“We all have a clear understanding of how we can assist and we are certainly willing to help,” Hughes stated. “The future actions of miSci will be up to them. However, we can definitely present them with a proposal that meets their needs to remain in Schenectady.”
A meeting was organized by Santabarbara at the county offices on Feb. 14 with miSci officials and state and county representatives to discuss the museum’s future. A second meeting is tentatively planned for mid-March.
On Friday, Santabarbara expressed his expectation that one or more funding packages will be presented to miSci at the upcoming meeting.
After touring miSci’s facilities, Santabarbara does not believe a significant amount of money would be required to renovate the current site. Neil Golub, miSci Board of Trustees chair, previously requested $1 million from state and county officials to support the museum through the rest of 2024 while the organization determines its next steps.
“I am confident that everyone is willing to invest in this to make it successful,” Santabarbara said. “I can confidently say that plans are underway. We have the partners, the only question is where the funding will come from.”
Following heavy rainfall in the city last July, miSci experienced hydrostatic pressure in its basement, endangering its archives and prompting museum officials to seek alternative sites to host the archives and potentially the museum itself.
During the tour on Thursday, Santabarbara carefully inspected the museum basement.
“Before I was elected, I was a civil engineer,” Santabarbara said on Friday. “So I knew what to look for. We didn’t see any signs of moisture [in the basement]. I was looking for water staining, rust on the metal shelves or the furnace. The metal appeared to be in pristine condition, the concrete looked as if it was just poured. So I didn’t see any signs of dampness. I didn’t detect any mold smell in the air. We all agreed that we don’t see a major water problem here.”
On Friday, Santabarbara revealed that the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul has indicated that state funding for miSci could be made available. He also noted that Christina Coughlin, Chief Financial Officer of the State Education Department, was present at Thursday’s meeting.
On Friday, Santabarbara revealed that Galesi Group CEO David Buicko has offered to house the museum’s archives at the ViaPort shopping mall in Rotterdam while any potential renovations are underway.
Ray Gillen, Schenectady County Metroplex Chair, who toured with Santabarbara and Hughes, said on Friday that county and state officials will regroup and consider future options for miSci. Phil Barrett, Clifton Park Town Supervisor, said on Friday that he is trying to assemble a taskforce to assist miSci, adding that he would welcome the museum to Saratoga County if necessary to preserve it.
Hughes believes that the combined efforts of the county and state will be able to present miSci with a viable path forward.
“I believe there’s a way to meet their goals at that site and secure their collection in a safer way for the long-term,” he said.
Reporting contributions to this story were made by Chad Arnold and Andrew Waite.
Agree – It’s great news that officials are working to keep miSci in Schenectady. It’s an important cultural and educational asset for the community.
Great news for the community, miSci is a valuable asset that should be kept in Schenectady.
Good punctuation and grammar, agree: That’s fantastic news! miSci is such a valuable resource for the community, it’s great to see efforts being made to keep it in Schenectady.