With a letter of intent in hand from the Chapel Hill Town Council, Kidzu Children’s Museum has been busy moving forward with plans for relocating to a new location near Southern Village. Since June, they have sought community feedback and consulted with design and architecture groups.

At a recent town council meeting, members of Kidzu’s senior staff gave an update on possible plans for the new site, between Sumac Road and Highway 15-501.

Steve Hess, chair of the Building Committee and a Kidzu board member, said a feasibility study with consulting group Gensler will help provide guidance for how best to move forward.

“We’re looking at, essentially, designing the larger tent that we can, figure out how much space Kidzu needs within that tent, and then providing other opportunities for the community to use and share that space,” Hess said on Wednesday.

A key part of the plan outlined before the town council is the opportunity of sharing space with outside non-profit groups and community members. That might mean space for integrating local schools, and partnerships with early learning groups at UNC and community organizations, Kidzu Executive Director Lisa Van Deman said.

“We are only limited by our imaginations, but we do see the museum as meeting the needs of our rapidly expanding community.”

Kidzu officials are expected to return in May 2019 with a more detailed building and programming plan. At that point, the town council will decide on whether to give a land lease for the site.

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