Grand opening planned for spring or summer of 2019
By Pat Payton
At the recent Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum induction weekend, Chairman of the Board, Adam Stephens, described 2018 as an “extremely exciting year” for the CBHFM.
One of the biggest reasons for his enthusiasm is the new expansion of the Hall’s Museum, which is estimated to cost approximately $1.1 to $1.2 million to construct and refurbish. Construction on the project started last November.
“The physical addition was largely built over the winter, and completed in mid-spring,” Stephens told the Independent.
Now, the work begins to plan for the next phases of the renovation, which includes upgrades to the Hall’s existing exhibits, the creation of new exhibits, the proper cataloguing and storage of that part of the Hall’s collection that is not displayed, and the creation of a library.
The chairman says the “expanded space” is about 2,500 square feet, which will be used to display some of the exhibits and the vast collection of baseball artifacts the Hall could not previously make publicly available.
The new expanded area has been divided into three main areas.
“We now have a proper area to house the collection,” Stephens explained. “We’re also delighted that part of the space will be for a library and archives centre which will house the treasure trove of Canadian baseball articles, books and records that weren’t previously accessible to academics, historians and journalists.
“The expansion will include a new exhibition space which will allow (the Hall) to have larger groups visit the Hall and learn the story of Canada’s baseball history. It also gives us an opportunity to showcase more of our collection and there will be more opportunities for research. Put simply, we’ll be in a better position to tell our story and fulfill our mandate.
“These are major improvements. This is the most significant museum-focused initiative at the Hall since it moved to St. Marys (over) 20 years ago. It’s a very exciting time for the Hall of Fame,” the chairman added.
For the public, Stephens says the grand opening of the newly-expanded Museum will take place in the spring or early summer of 2019.
