Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
CINCINNATI (AP) — The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is planning to add a Southern-style restaurant and a second charter high school.
The museum says the initiatives are intended to help make money and form partnerships within the community, the Cincinnati Enquirer (http://cin.ci/1MZh8PV) reported Thursday.
Officials with Cincinnati Public Schools are talking with the center to sponsor a second Carpe Diem Learning Systems charter high school using free space at the museum.
The 12,000-square-foot restaurant will be constructed from an existing cafe. It will also have two floors of dining with a view of the Ohio River and an assortment of bourbon drinks. The restaurant is scheduled to open in September.
"This is a very exciting year," Freedom Center President Clarence Newsome said. "There are a lot of moving parts that are going to round out the business model. It's a good place to be."
Officials are also considering using the 300-seat Harriet Tubman Theater for more events outside of its traditional hours. The nonprofit is also closing in on an endowment of about $10 million, officials told the newspaper.
The $110 million venue opened in 2004 and attracted more than a quarter of a million people in its first year.
The organization nearly collapsed about four years ago as its expenses were higher than its fundraising and revenue. The center merged operations with the Cincinnati Museum Center in 2012 and Newsome became its president the following year.
The museum gets about 140,000 visitors each year now, which is normal according to Susan Redman-Rengstorf, the Freedom Center's vice president of institutional advancement. She said many museums see a dip in attendance after the first year once people have seen it for the first time.
Newsome said fundraising and attendance goals in the second half of this year are higher than expected though, and higher than a year earlier. He attributes the successes to boosting workers and efficiency inside the organization's fundraising and marketing departments.
___
Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
