Old proposal to expand New Brunswick Museum in Saint John's Market Square revived

The company that runs Market Square in Saint John is reviving an old proposal to expand the New Brunswick Museum.

Colin Whitcomb, executive vice-presidentof the Hardman group, says it would cost about $22 million to double the museum's space in Market Square, compared to the $100-million project that was cancelled by the Progressive Conservativegovernment in March.

The museum is facing a shortage of space and its collections and research centre on Douglas Avenue is leaking and mouldy.

"From the museum standpoint, they have a challenge they need to address, and this is one solution, and we think a very cost-effective solution and one that could be implemented quite quickly," Whitcomb said.

The museum said Wednesday that it is working on options to solve its building problems but hasn't yet reviewed the Hardman proposal.

Right now, the public exhibit part of the museum occupies about 63,000 square feet over three levels at Market Square. Whitcomb saidthe footprint of the building could be expanded to 130,000 square feet.

"We've hired the architects and engineers to analyze how that could be done and put forward a design proposal to the museum," he said.

Whitcomb said the north side of the building facing Union Street and the upper end of St. Patrick Street was left undeveloped when Market Square was built in the 1980s. His plan would push that wall out farther, giving the museum more space and a "very high-profile presence" along the street corner.

Whether the extra space becomes a new exhibit space or an area for research and collections storage would be up to the museum.

The idea isn't new. Whitcomb said it was developed around 2012, but the proposal slipped through the cracks during a change in government when new priorities were established. He said given the challenges the museum is facing and the cancelled plans for the new build, it felt like the right time to renew the proposal.

The plans have been sent to the museum as well as the Departments of Transportation and Infrastructure and Tourism, Heritage and Culture, and Whitcomb saidthe reaction so far has been positive.

The Hardman Group is prepared to make the majority of the investment in the building expansion. It has a lease on the site from the government-owned Development Saint John group that lasts until 2049 with an option to extend for 10 or 20 years.

The final cost of the project could vary depending on what the museum decides to use the new space for. Whitcomb said the estimate for the proposal is based on building it as a gallery.

In an emailed statement to CBC News,Bill Hicks, CEO of theNew Brunswick Museum, said the museum's board and management "were not engaged or consulted on the high level proposal by the Hardman Group and as such has not had the opportunity to review."

"If their proposal has some merit, it may be considered along with a number of different options and approaches."

He said the New Brunswick Museum is working with theprovincial governmentto determinethe option that's in the best interest of the museum.

"It is important to emphasize the facility needs and requirements for museums, on the nature and scale of the New Brunswick Museum, are extensive and complex," Hicks said.

"There needs to be a full understanding of what New Brunswick Museum does, how it operates and its facility needs going forward."