LOCAL

Erie children's museum awarded $5 million state grant for its downtown expansion project

Staff report

Erie Times-News

Erie's Experience Children's Museum will receive a $5 million state grant to help pay for planned expansion and renovations.

The $15.1 million project will include a three-story, 19,000-square-foot addition to be built in a vacant lot next to the existing museum at 420 French St. A new outdoor area will accommodate open-air programs.

The Experience Children's Museum plan to build an addition to the museum in this courtyard, on the south side of the existing building at 420 French St., pictured in 2019.

Renovations to the existing building will include the installation of energy-efficient heating, cooling and lighting plus electrical, plumbing and communications upgrades.

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The $5 million grant is among $54.5 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant awards announced by Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday. The grants will fund 16 projects statewide.

RCAP grants fund economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects.