Leak leads to indefinite delay of museum's opening

"The opening of the new Palo Alto History Museum has been delayed indefinitely because the city-owned building is leaking, museum CEO Marguerite Gong Hancock announced Wednesday (Jan. 21). The museum was scheduled to open in February. The museum nonprofit is working with the city to assess and repair the water intrusion at 300 Homer Ave., Hancock said in an email yesterday. "Taking the time to do this right is essential to the museum's long-term success," she said."

"The historic Roth Building was built in 1932 as the Palo Alto Medical Foundation's first home. The city bought the building in 2000 and approved plans to turn the site into a museum in 2007, but the museum nonprofit struggled to raise money for a renovation. So the city pitched in $10.7 million and agreed to rent the building to the nonprofit for $1 a year for 40 years."

"Then-Congresswoman Anna Eshoo earmarked another $3 million for the renovation, and Santa Clara County paid $100,000 for a new roof, $182,448 for new windows and $350,000 to restore an elevator from the 1940s. The building was renovated by Palo Alto-based Vance Brown Builders, the same contractor that worked on the Junior Museum and Zoo at 1451 Middlefield Road and the Avenidas Senior Center at 450 Bryant St. The city determined the museum contract was exempt from a competitive bidding process."

Palo Alto History Museum opening has been delayed indefinitely because the city-owned Roth Building is leaking. The museum nonprofit and the city are assessing and repairing water intrusion at 300 Homer Ave. The Roth Building was built in 1932 as the Palo Alto Medical Foundation's first home. The city purchased the building in 2000 and approved museum conversion plans in 2007, but the nonprofit struggled to raise renovation funds. The city contributed $10.7 million and agreed to a $1-per-year, 40-year lease. Additional funding included a $3 million federal earmark and county payments for roof, windows, and elevator restoration. Vance Brown Builders performed the renovation, and the city deemed the contract exempt from competitive bidding.

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