The museum and city of Waynesboro jointly paid for the study, in order to see if a satellite museum made sense in this location. The answer, according to the study, appears to be yes. The planned facility would serve eleven cities and counties, including Waynesboro, Staunton, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Buena Vista and Charlottesville, along with the counties of Albemarle, Augusta, Nelson, Rockingham and Rockbridge. On average over the last three years, the museum in Martinsville brought in 30,000 visitors. The report estimates that a Waynesboro museum would bring in 65,582 visitors each year. Part of the reason for that difference is the population in each area. Martinsville and Henry County have a combined population of 67,972. Waynesboro, Staunton and Augusta County combine for 119,705.

Even by estimating that only 23 percent of the local population visits the museum, that would come out to 45,332, still more than 15,000 over the numbers currently coming to Martinsville.

Another benefit for Waynesboro is its location. Chmura members studied the impact of being near the Shenandoah National Park, interviewing hikers and others. The group found that 13.5 percent of park visitors would be interested in traveling to a natural history museum, if it was nearby.

“I think Waynesboro is under-appreciated in general for its natural resources,” Keiper said, adding that he was excited about the possibilities. “It seems to be a good fit.”

He pointed to the fly fishing festival that takes place annually in the city as an example of a benefit to locating the museum in Waynesboro.

“Maybe the museum goes down near the Pavilion by the South River,” Keiper said. “We could have the fly fishing festival near our doorstep. Things like that just add to the fit.”

The idea came about through discussions started by Waynesboro Downtown Development Inc. When WDDI was formed, the group started looking at the river as an economic development asset for the city. The museum concept is one of several ideas that WDDI officials are working on.

“One of our best assets is our location,” said Kimberly Watters, WDDI Executive Director. “We started talks with the museum director and board and that’s evolved. But when we started this, there was no way to see where it would end up. This is looking pretty concrete, it’s exciting.”

Economic impact

From construction jobs to tourism dollars, the study also found that the museum would be a driver for economic development in the area. Construction activities would generate an estimated $10.4 million in revenue, including 108 new jobs. In addition, business, professional and occupational license taxes would bring $6,813 each year. The museum itself would bring in 10 jobs per year, with one full-time site manager and six part-time workers.

The study also estimated that visitors would go out into the city and spend money on food, other shopping and possibly a room for the night, if they’re traveling from a longer distance. That would bring in $1.35 million for the local economy.

That $1.35 million number comes from the study’s estimate of 65,582 people visiting the site each year. If each of those people spend $20.60 on their visit, it comes out to $1.35 million.

Chmura also projected revenues and expenses for a Waynesboro site, finding that the facility would likely be profitable in its first year. Admission costs are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and college students and $3 for children ages 3 to 18. From admissions alone, the Waynesboro site would be expected to bring in $196,746 its first year, combined with an expected $70,000 in museum memberships and $57,500 in donations. That would bring total revenues to $324,246, with payroll and other expenses taking out $242,250, leaving a net profit of $81,996.

In terms of size, the museum would compare to the Danville Science Center, with the study suggesting a building of approximately 21,850 square feet, including 10,000 square feet of exhibit space. The remaining space would be used for research, education purposes and offices.

The study also made three recommendations as to potential sites for the museum. The first was in downtown Waynesboro, either at 320 West Main Street or using the Mill at South River. The second location was at the Waynesboro Industrial Park, just off Exit 96 from Interstate 64 and the third was on Lew Dewitt Boulevard near Zeus Digital Theater.

The city owns the Waynesboro Industrial Park, but Chmura’s report

quotes city officials as saying the price would be $50,000 for purchase. Land costs $550,000 per acre along Lew Dewitt, whereas the downtown sites can be leased for either $3 or $8 per square foot per year. The asking price for the Mill at South River is $3 per square foot to lease, meaning it would cost $65,550 per year. The West Main Street site is $8 per square foot, which comes out to $174,800 per year.

All three sites have the necessary access to utilities, but Chmura raised some concern about flooding problems is either of the downtown properties were used. The study found however that a downtown site best fit with the city’s land use guide and pointed out a downtown museum would be close to the Heritage Museum, the Shenandoah Valley Art Center and the Wayne Theater, as well as within walking distance of Main Street.

Next steps

Now that the study has been completed and accepted by the museum board, several steps still remain before the satellite location becomes a reality, Keiper said. He plans to work with the museum’s fundraising foundation board, its governing board and officials in Waynesboro to form a joint committee to help things move forward.

The first thing the committee needs to do is hire a firm to help detail what the museum will look like, both inside and out.

“That includes things like what kind of stories will you tell inside, what exhibits will go in each section of the building and other details like that,” Keiper said. “Once you have that in place, you can get into more concrete steps.”

He also plans to bring committee members to Waynesboro in the next few months, so they can look at the location and see the things mentioned in the study.

Keiper was hesitant to put a timetable on the work, but he said he wouldn’t be surprised to see this move forward quickly.

“I think people want to move with a sense of urgency,” Keiper said. “Waynesboro is the only city in Virginia where you have citizens very enthusiastically engaging us. People are excited.”