Children’s Museum asks London taxpayers for $2 million to help cover moving costs

A hefty moving bill has the London Children’s Museum asking the city for some help.

The museum says it will cost $15 million to their new home next year and are asking city hall for $2 million to help offset those costs.

The children’s museum announced four years ago it would leave its current home on 21 Wharncliffe Road, where it has been for the past 35 years. The property was sold to Shmuel Farhi in 2014 in an effort to raise money for the new location.

Museum officials haven’t decided where they will move but plan to make the move in 2018.

The request has been made London’s community grants program and will be considered at Monday’s strategic priorities and policy committee meeting.

The Community Review Panel reviewed the request but hasn’t made a recommendation, however the panel does say they would be supportive of city council providing a one-time capital funding to the museum.

If council approves the request from the museum, civic administration would need to prepare a budget amendment form for consideration as part of 2018 budget talks, which will begin in a few months.

“This would enable council to assess the London Children’s Museum funding request in relation to the other budget priorities,” said the report.

The Children’s Museum building dates back to 1916 when it opened as Riverview School. The school closed in 1978 and was sold to the museum three years later. Following renovations, they took over the site in 1982 where they’ve remained since. The building is currently on London’s heritage inventory list.

The funding request from the museum dwarfs all other requests being made to council through the community grants program. The 12 other requests combined total $312,000.

Pillar Nonprofit Network has asked for $45,000 to repair the elevator at their Innovation Works location on King Street, the Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration has asked for $50,000 to help school-aged Syrian children integrate into London and the Cathedral Church of St. Paul has requested $12,000 to go towards the repair the Cathedral’s buildings.