A children's museum to be located downtown is slated to begin construction early next month, following an eight-year fundraising effort.
Kidzeum of Health and Science will be located at 412 E. Adams St., in the Schnepp and Barnes Building.
The long-anticipated museum has received support from several partners, including HSHS St. John's Children's Hospital, SIU School of Medicine, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and the City of Springfield. In May, the Springfield City Council approved $130,000 in TIF funds for the museum, bringing the total TIF commitment to about $1.2 million. The total cost for the project is about $7 million.
O'Shea Builders is the contractor for the project, and the architect is BLDD Architects. Construction is expected to last eight to nine months, following a two- to three-month installation period for the exhibits. The projected open date is some time in May 2018.
The musuem is hosting a construction kick-off at 2 p.m. on June 29.
