[Loscho_enews] Fw: The City of Seattle's Threat Against MOHAI's Future

[Karen Prasse]

----- Forwarded Message ----

From: AKCHO Board President Joe Follansbee <joef at speakeasy.net>
To: kprasse at yahoo.com
Sent: Tue, September 7, 2010 7:40:22 PM
Subject: The City of Seattle's Threat Against MOHAI's Future


Having trouble viewing this email? Click here  Hello AKCHO Members and Heritage 
Advisor Subscribers:

I am forwarding the message below to you from Helen Divjak, a former AKCHO board 
member now with the Museum of History & Industry. She is writing about an 
outrageous attempt by the City of Seattle to renege on a good-faith deal with 
MOHAI. This attempt threatens MOHAI's plans to move to Lake Union Park, and it 
threatens the survival of arguably the single most visible and important local 
heritage institution in Washington State. This affects ALL of us, not just 
people in Seattle. Please read carefully, write to city leaders, and plan to 
attend the hearing on Sept. 20. Thank you.

Joe Follansbee
AKCHO Board President
-----

Dear Friends, AKCHO Members, and Heritage Supporters:

I am writing to you today on behalf of MOHAI to inform you that the future of 
our museum is in jeopardy. As you may have read in the news last week, MOHAI’s 
agreement with the Seattle’s Mayor’s Office - one which would allow the museum 
to reopen in 2012 at the historic Armory at South Lake Union - is now being 
called into question. If we are unable to resolve this issue swiftly, MOHAI will 
be forced to close, and may not reopen.

If MOHAI has made a difference to your life or your community, please support us 
by writing an email or a note to the Seattle Mayor’s office and City council to 
let them know how you feel. I would also be grateful if you can help me raise 
awareness about this issue by forwarding my email onto friends, neighbors, and 
colleagues of your own.  History matters and our voices really can make a 
difference.

Here is the situation:

1) The MOHAI building at Montlake is going to be demolished. In 2012, Seattle’s 
regional history museum must close its doors to make way for the expansion of 
the 520 bridge.

2) After three years of working together, MOHAI and the City reached an 
agreement last fall to save MOHAI by moving it to the landmarked Armory building 
at South Lake Union.  According to this agreement, all of the funds required to 
restore the old Armory and to complete the relocation of exhibits, staff, 
artifacts, and other museum services will come from MOHAI’s capital campaign and 
from compensation designated by the State to mitigate MOHAI’s loss.  You can 
learn more about this agreement in the following Crosscut article: 
http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=laiiokcab&et=1103667399174&s=1102&e=001GKMJzsfm-gaT6oDTAM35wzASWT9rUsfk2AGESUPiQSQoV3cmNhktq1p5SYGmXjWB1y1XGY4mTjR2jlShtIkjMcppN4_EvwUUOFzXiEwgHG2wiZnq_Qkd7N0hfFgC5lHdSjvIXE41Gud_bZzMgDo1vPBhG40pBWz6uXeUuDKB4qACfSwomgWk2I9g9RL_PBSjLQotMr6ptgKfkq9oWLfs1N-XcarSOq8S


3) In developments last week, the Mayor’s Office indicated that it now wishes to 
renegotiate our agreement, despite the fact that that the State’s mitigation 
funds cannot be redirected. Mitigation funds from the State can be used ONLY for 
the purpose they were intended:  to mitigate MOHAI for the loss of the Montlake 
building and all the functions it contains.  The mitigation includes funds to 
not only help us restore the Armory building and create exhibits to replace 
those we will loose at our Montlake facility, but also to relocate many of the 
museum’s functions (including staff offices, the research library, and artifact 
storage) that cannot be accommodated at the Armory. To successfully complete our 
move, MOHAI must be able to keep the agreement.

If you believe that MOHAI plays an important role in our cultural landscape and 
serves our community by preserving and sharing our history, please share your 
thoughts with Mayor McGinn and City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Chair of the 
Parks and Seattle Center Committee.  Their email addresses are: 
mike.mcginn at seattle.gov and sally.bagshaw at seattle.gov respectively.  If you 
would like to send a letter, the mayor’s physical mail address is: The Honorable 
Mike McGinn, Seattle City Hall 7th floor, 600 Fourth Avenue, P.O. Box 94749, 
Seattle, WA 98124-4749. We also request that you show your support by attending 
the City Council meeting scheduled for September 20th at 2 PM, at 600 4th Avenue 
in the Council Chambers, where the council members will vote on this matter.

Thank you for your support!

HELEN DIVJAK
PUBLIC PROGRAMS MANAGER
MUSEUM OF HISTORY & INDUSTRY
2700 24th Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98112-2099 
P: 206.324.1126 Ext. 30  |  F: 206.324.1346
helen.divjak at seattlehistory.org
www.seattlehistory.org
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