JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A major step was announced Tuesday towards the future of the Museum of Science and History. MOSH announced its largest single donation to date of $10 million from CSX.
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The new development is set to be three times larger than MOSH’s current facility across the river on the Southbank.
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“It gets us that much closer to reaching those fundraising goals that we have set with city,” Dr. Alistair Dove, the CEO of MOSH, said.
The $10 million is a quarter of the $40 million minimum fundraising requirement to unlock the land lease agreement it has with the city. MOSH already asked for two extensions on its deadline.
Dr. Dove asked the Downtown Investment Authority in February for the first $30 million requirement to be pushed to the end of March, which leaves a $35 million goal by the end of April and the $40 million deadline is the end of June.
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“We have great confidence that we’re going to meet that deadline by the end of June,” Dr. Dove told Action News Jax’s Robert Grant. Representatives with MOSH wouldn’t say exactly how much the museum has already raised but said they’re on track.
Construction on the new facility should break ground by the end of next year at Lot X on the Northbank and be done in 2027 all while MOSH’s existing facility is still open across the river on the Southbank.
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Dr. Dove said they’re relying on funds from programming at the current building to keep it operational and said that the facility has hit the end of its life, but they’re excited to be part of new life on the Northbank.
“Being part of all that and having people have a reason to come here not just on football Sunday but any day,” he said.
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MOSH said it has future donations lined up, which will be announced soon. The riverwalk will eventually wrap around the new museum and connect to the Emerald Trail.
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