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Minnesota Historical Society seeks asset preservation funding and grants, details PATH collections plan
Summary
The Minnesota Historical Society requested $5.1 million (governor's recommendation) for historic‑sites asset preservation, $900,000 for county and local historic preservation grants, and advanced plans for a multi‑year Preservation and Access to History (PATH) collections project.
The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) presented capital requests to the Senate Committee on Capital Investment on Feb. 25 that focus on three areas: historic‑sites asset preservation, a county and local preservation grant program, and a multi‑year Preservation and Access to History (PATH) project to improve collections care and access.
MNHS Director and CEO Kent Whitworth and David Kelleher, vice president for public policy and government relations, told the committee the society manages a network of historic sites and museum collections that require regular capital maintenance. Whitworth said the sites host school programs, exhibits and other public engagement and that many facilities are aging: MNHS called attention to visitor centers and buildings that are reaching life‑cycle replacement needs after several decades.
Program requests and rationale:
- Asset preservation: MNHS said a long‑term maintenance model suggests an annualized preservation need approximating 4% of replacement value; MNHS estimated that equates to about $11 million per year or about $22 million per two‑year capital cycle. The governor’s 2025 recommendation for MNHS asset preservation was $5.1 million; MNHS provided a prioritized list of projects that would be partially addressed at that level.
- County and local historic preservation grants: MNHS requested $900,000 for the competitive grant program that requires a 1:1 local match and supports depot, library, courthouse and arena preservation projects across Minnesota.
- PATH (Preservation and Access to History): MNHS said it has sharpened project plans to focus on collections care, including retrofitting an offsite storage facility at 1500 Mississippi Street in St. Paul, finishing planned expansion space in the Minnesota History Center, and renovating existing collections spaces to improve efficiency and stewardship.
MNHS showed photos of completed and in‑progress preservation work, including masonry rehabilitation at Hill House and stabilization work at Mill City Museum. Staff said recent funding (2023 appropriation) is being used for multi‑site work but that a long list of additional prioritized preservation needs remains.
Ending: MNHS asked the committee to support the three requests and offered site tours and district‑level maps to committee members; the committee did not take funding action during the hearing.
