Clear Lake City Council hears North Iowa Children’s Museum feasibility study findings

CLEAR LAKE — Clear Lake’s City Council this week heard the findings of a feasibility study for the proposed North Iowa Children’s Museum. The council back in February approved a letter of intent with the museum’s non-profit organization that outlined various parameters of support for the project, with a feasibility study being completed.

Robert Brais of the firm ConsultEcon did the study and says children’s museums are really proliferating in smaller communities like Clear Lake.  “Many smaller communities all over the place are developing children’s museums because of the benefits they create. Families, children, they’ve chosen to be associated with a strong educational outcome.”

Brais says from an economic development perspective, children’s museums really attract young families and keep young people in a community. “In many smaller towns like yours, young people go off to Chicago or whatever and go to college. Well, so many times people come back. You really have to have the infrastructure to bring people back, and in particular with a community like yours with a really attractive community. This will really help you in keeping young people.”

  The non-profit plans to create an up-to-25,000 square foot destination for learning and exploration. Children’s Museum leaders are wanting to construct the museum on property located in the Emerald Edge Subdivision, but some council members have expressed concerns about the sustainability of such a museum and that it may be wiser to find an empty building to start their efforts.

The study was jointly funded by the city and the museum.