The Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce is going to move its offices and open a cultural education center and museum at a landmark location.
The Chamber Foundation is entering into a lease with an option to buy the former Council on Aging and Plymouth Area Community Television buildings from the town of Plymouth. The price tag on the purchase of these buildings and land at 132-134 Court St. is $800,000. The Chamber won the bid on the property.
Executive Director Denis Hanks said plans for a cultural education center that would feature rotating special exhibits and other events, combined with the Chamber’s move into the PACTV building along with Destination Plymouth and other organizations, play a central role in a larger master plan for turning Plymouth into a year-round tourist destination.
“I think this will be really exciting for a lot of people and will go a long way toward bringing visitors in,” he said. “We want to keep people here longer.”
Acquisition and construction is expected to cost approximately $3 million, Hanks said. The non-profit Plymouth Industrial Development Corporation has committed to contributing financially to the project and will have naming rights and be featured in the foyer of the center. Hanks said the amount has not been finalized.
“It will really be a lasting legacy to their corporation,” he said.
The former COA building would be torn down to make way for the new, two-story, 20,000-square-feet cultural education center and museum. The first story at ground level with a view of Court Street would be home to the cultural education center. The second floor would be home to a museum featuring traveling exhibits from groups representing the fields of science, history and culture. An elevator would connect the two stories.
Hanks said the number of traveling exhibits is almost endless. Well-known groups such as the Smithsonian Institute and NASA offer exhibits, as do many other organizations.
The identity of the new museum will be announced when that agreement is finalized in 30 to 60 days. And it won’t be the only museum to open in Plymouth if the Chamber has its way, Hanks said, noting that business leaders are in talks with several museums.
Visitor would also be able to sit outside on a walk-around deck area.
The move of the Chamber and other organizations into the former PACTV offices after seven years at Cordage Park is expected to be completed by April 1, following some painting and roof work. These other organizations include the U.S. Small Business Administration, Team Plymouth, the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center and SCORE.
