The Project involves the acquisition and renovation of a building to establish a permanent home for a world-class experiential STEM and cultural learning center for children and families in the region. The KID Museum is looking for a building of approximately 50,000 square feet in size to provide high quality programs. Upon acquisition, the building will be redeveloped under a public-private partnership for occupancy by KID Museum, a non-profit organization serving families and elementary/middle school students. The interior improvements will be designed and constructed by KID Museum pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the County. Funding for these improvements will be raised from private and public sources. The improvements include demolition of existing office partitions, construction of additional bathrooms and access enhancements, and construction of maker spaces, exhibition spaces, assembly spaces, and administrative spaces.

Efforts to date to acquire a suitable site for the KID Museum have not been successful, so the Museum has opted to rent an expanded facility on an interim basis. This will allow KID MUSEUM to immediately expand its partnership programs with Montgomery County Public Schools to address COVID-related learning losses, serve at risk children, and provide hands on learning programs for more children and their families. As a result, the County's support for KID Museum will shift to the operating budget, and this CIP project will be phased out. Recordation tax premium funds have been left in the project to facilitate FY23 operating budget funding.

Recordation tax premium funds have been left in the project to facilitate FY23 operating budget support. The City of Rockville's prior financial commitment is assumed to continue.
The County's contribution is toward the design and renovation of the building. The Council intended to appropriate $1,000,000 in FY19 for design, and the KID Museum will raise a matching $1,000,000 from other sources for construction. The Council intended to appropriate the remaining construction funds as a 1:1 match to funds raised by the KID Museum from other sources. Assuming a partnership with the City of Rockville as originally intended, apart from closing costs, no design funds may be spent until a copy of the finalized agreement between the County and the City of Rockville for co-ownership of the building and a finalized MOU between the County and KID Museum for use of the space is provided to the Council. Addition of $2,930,000 in GO Bonds to FY20 reflects the intention of Council to provide full funding for the project.