MUSEUMS IN LIMBO: City commission to continue museum discussions

By DINA AREVALO 

History on display Tootie Madden, president of the San Benito Historical Society, offers a tour of the Museums of San Benito.  (Staff photo by Dina Arevalo)

History on display
Tootie Madden, president of the San Benito Historical Society, offers a tour of the Museums of San Benito.
(Staff photo by Dina Arevalo)

Special to the NEWS

The city commission continued discussions at Tuesday’s meeting about the future of the San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum, which was hoped to house the Freddy Fender Museum, the San Benito History Museum and the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Plans for the museum have been in limbo since city officials first informed the museum committee that a $1.2 million certificate of obligation (CO) obtained in 2007 to fund its construction stipulates the funds can only be used at the Plaza San Benito location at 220. E. Stenger St.— currently the site of the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center.

That disrupts both the committee’s and the city’s hopes to include the museum in the ResacaWalk project, which aims to have retail, cultural, and public event spaces in a centralized location along the resaca. “At the time we did the COs we didn’t own the new land by the resaca,” said Mayor Celeste Sanchez Monday. “It wasn’t even up for sale. We didn’t even know we were going to buy it,” she said.

That fact may have contributed to current-day frustrations caused by the CO’s very limiting wording. “Previously, we had some discussions as to how the CO was written where it was very specific as to how the money was going to be (used)” said Freddy Fender Museum president Ron Rogers.

“This was done in 2007. It was done in a very small space. We realized then that was just a very temporary setting and that we were going to build new museums,” Rogers said. “That’s why that (the CO) was applied for. So the whole movement all along was to have bigger and better museums and to not do that would be, I’m sure, not good,” he said.

More space is something Tootie Madden, president of the San Benito Historical Society hopes for, as well. During a recent tour of the museum, Madden was quick to point out numerous uncatalogued historical artifacts crammed into small storage rooms — items there’s simply no room to display. The maze of dimly-lit exhibit rooms were sticky with humidity which didn’t seem lessened by dehumidifiers tucked discretely into corners. Newly-built shelves showed signs of termite damage. Madden wondered aloud what effects the less than optimum environment was having on the irreplaceable artifacts.

Mayor Sanchez said the city is still committed to the museum, though. “We’re not giving up on the idea of building a museum,” she said. “That’s what we’re going to be discussing, as to whether we only renovate the community building and build the museum over there— but we cannot use the ’07 CO money— or do we stay with the location mentioned, the Plaza San Benito, and build the museum there?” she said.

Rey Avila, president of the Texas Conjunto Music HOF and Museum says he hopes the museum will be part of ResacaWalk. “We as a group would rather have it over there,” he said. “It makes more sense, more traffic,” he said. His hope is that the city will seek a new CO to fund construction at ResacaWalk.

“That’s one option,” Sanchez said. “There’s several options… return that money so we don’t owe that money and try to get a new CO for the resaca location,” she said. “That’s the discussion, what are the options that we have?” she said.

A new certificate of obligation would mean more delays, though. And the mayor was unsure of how long it would take to procure a new one if that avenue was pursued. “That’s one of the things I told Mr. Lara to research: how long will it take us?” she said.

But the waiting game is beginning to wear thin among those who want to see the museum completed. “I’m hoping that we’ll move on with the project,” said Rogers. “The certificate of obligation is from 2007, that’s seven years,” he said. “I’ll be interested to see the commission’s recommendations to see what they, how they want to do that,” he said.

“We’ll be there,” at the meeting, said Avila. “We’ve been waiting for this meeting,” he said.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2014/12/16/museums-in-limbo-city-commission-to-continue-museum-discussions/

3 comments

    • Juan 2 on December 23, 2014 at 1:29 pm
    • Reply

    The last mayor (8 years?) and commission left a mess! Whatever happened about that China trip?? FREE VACATIONS is what happened!
    In May the voters had better WAKE UP. Mayor Sanchez needs help!

    • John on December 22, 2014 at 1:08 pm
    • Reply

    With Space x coming to our neighbor south of us, you would think that all those people at city hall could come up with a plan to attract new residents.
    I am all for museums;however, my property value will increase with better streets, vibrant businesses, and outstanding schools.
    If you assess the city of San Benito, NONE of these things are an attraction now.
    Mayor Sanchez. please help. We know at least you have the “smarts” to make a difference. I’m not sure about the rest. I am sure you have already assess the staff at city hall.
    Please please improve our city. By the way, all the hard work that the volunteers do for the museums is very much appreciated.

    • Juan on December 22, 2014 at 8:24 am
    • Reply

    Mayor Sanchez,and the others should try and make San Benito a better place to live now,rather than worrying about where to put more museums.Fix the streets,and water and sewage system,now,worry with your little private deed latter,after you’ve made the city a place worth visiting.People are not going to come here with streets so bad that it reminds you of a war zone,not at least to see a Freddy Fender museum.

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