Children’s Museum selects site in Loveland Yards

LOVELAND —  Organizers of the new Children’s Museum of Northern Colorado have changed their minds and will establish the museum in the Loveland Yards instead of in the proposed Centerra South.

The museum, a project of multiple community organizers and nonprofit entities in Northern Colorado, had considered an anchor location in the McWhinney Real Estate Services Inc.’s Centerra South. That was before Loveland Yards — the new name for the Outlets At Loveland, which is under the new ownership of the Schuman Cos. Inc. of Windsor – came into the picture.

In a press statement Monday, the museum said it had secured a new location in the Loveland Yards where it will build a new space for the museum. The Yards are located on the northwest corner of  Interstate 25 and U.S. Highway 34. 

The museum will include about 14,000 square feet of hands-on indoor and outdoor exhibits. Early plans call for exhibits themed around water; agriculture; art; construction; and science, technology, engineering and math. Organizers anticipate more than 150,000 visitors annually with a target demographic of children 10 and younger along with their families.

“Research on child development could not be clearer. Play is the primary mechanism for young children to learn about themselves and their world,” Ryan Howard, museum executive director, said in a written statement. “With 80% of brain development occurring in childhood, it’s concerning that opportunities for play have decreased in recent times, but we hope to address the shortfall by providing a dedicated space for it.  A children’s museum is an essential component of the cultural and educational opportunities available to families. Northern Colorado is ready for a children’s museum of its own.” 

Howard said it was important to find a space that would be conducive to both indoor and outdoor learning experiences for children and their families. 

“This location is the right opportunity at the right time,” Howard said. “In order to be a truly regional museum, it was vital to identify a site centrally located to all of Northern Colorado’s communities. Now the path ahead is to complete our capital campaign and bring the vision to life.” The museum has launched a new website to provide information about the museum’s plans.

The Children’s Museum has assembled a team to design and build the space including Wember Owner’s Representative, Cambridge Seven Architecture, Clark & Enersen Architecture, and PCL Construction. The property transaction was arranged by Melissa Moran and Jon Rue of commercial real estate firm CBRE.

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