FLORENCE — The Florence County Museum Board voted Tuesday to invite five architectural firms to submit conceptual designs for a new museum.
In July, Florence County Council unanimously approved a $3.9 million multiyear grant from the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation toward building a new Florence Museum of Art, Science and History.
Council has approved the money to match grants, as well as land for the museum at Cheves and Dargan streets. The city of Florence gave the county a six-month, $200,000 option to buy the vacant land. The county is spending about $4 million on the new museum, the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation is making a $3.9 million grant toward the museum, and the state is providing an additional $3.9 million.
Thirty-seven architectural firms replied to the museum board’s request for qualifications. After studying and discussing those qualifications, the board voted to extend invitations for conceptual designs to Craig Gaulden Davis of Greenville; Cooper, Robertson & Partners Architecture of New York, N.Y.; Grieves, Worrall, Wright & O’Hatnick (GWWO) of Baltimore, Md.; Holzman Moss Architecture of New York, N.Y.; and Verner Johnson Inc. of Boston.
“We agreed we do want the firm to choose to have a local connection with a firm here,” board member Becky Crawford said. “Even if we go with an out-of-town firm, we definitely want an association with someone local.”
The RFQ estimates the museum will be 30,000 square feet and states that a prospective architectural firm for its construction will provide a conceptual cost estimate for the new museum building, as well as assist in bidding.
The invitation packet that will be sent to the five firms this week will include information about the collections and programming of the Florence Museum; general information about Florence County and the Pee Dee; documents pertaining to the location of the Florence County Museum including plat and images of site; a description of the cultural corridor and downtown revitalization including maps and images of the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Library; Florence Little Theatre and Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center; and budget limitations.
“If we cannot connect the museum and our objects to our visitors in some sense, it’s not going to matter,” Museum Executive Director Andrew Stout said. “So we want the firms to get a feel for our community and our museum.”
The firms will be asked to present their conceptual designs to the museum board in October. After the presentations, the board will pass along its recommendations to Florence County Council.
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