Proposed renovation of Iowa historical museum sparks funding dispute

DES MOINES - State officials in charge of Iowa's flagship historical museum say the building is in dire need of repair and major renovation.

But state lawmakers say a proposed $80 million project is too big for the state budget.

Officials say the State Historical Museum, just west of the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines' East Village, is fraught with infrastructure problems. Leaking pipes and skylights and a heating and cooling system that is not designed for a museum are the primary issues threatening the 209 million pieces in the state's collection.

The building also is much too large for its needs and staff levels, say officials with the state Department of Cultural Affairs.

Their plan is for a major renovation that would downsize the museum from 234,000 square feet to 155,000. The extra space would be used to create an outdoor public space.

The project would cost $80 million. Officials have asked the state for $65 million, appropriated over five years; the remaining $15 million would come from donations and other sources.

'We need to better utilize the space and better orient the visitor,” said Mary Cownie, director of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Cownie and Susan Kloewer, also with the department, said exhibits in storage must be moved to avoid leaking pipes, and the building's heating and cooling system does not allow for customization within different areas, which threatens older and frail exhibits, such as Civil War flags.

The proposed renovation also would give the museum a single point of entry to better guide visitors, and the funding would allow the museum to create a better website to draw those wishing to learn about Iowa's history online, officials said.

Gov. Terry Branstad included in his budget proposal $7.8 million toward the renovation in the upcoming fiscal year. But key state lawmakers say the price tag is too high.

'We're still working on it, but I don't see where it gets in the budget,” said Sen. Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville, who chairs the Iowa Senate budget committee.

The proposed project also has critics in the form of the Save Iowa History Alliance, an advocacy group that has expressed concerns with reduced staffing and hours at the historical museum, as well as with the renovation plan. The group's organizers include roughly a half dozen Iowa history experts and professors.

'The (department's) plans to renovate and reduce the size of the Des Moines Historical Building, and its woeful neglect of its Iowa City research center, present an immediate threat to the survival and accessibility of collections,” an online petition written by the group says. 'Give top priority to safeguarding the contents of the state's history before allocating tax dollars that put them in jeopardy.”

Kloewer said the renovation plan is appropriate for the museum's display needs and staffing levels.

'For us, it's what we need to fulfill our mission,” Kloewer said.