Morgantown extends museum lease for two years at $11.50 per sq. ft.; utilities included

MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown City Council on Dec. 16 approved a two-year extension to the lease for the Morgantown History Museum at the historic post office, setting a rent of $11.50 per square foot with utilities included.

City Manager (speaking during the meeting) told council the museum’s existing five-year lease expires Dec. 31 and that the current charge was $10 per square foot plus a share of utilities. The extension, the manager said, ‘‘allows us to evaluate the long-term needs of where the museum will be located’’ and can be covered in the current-year budget; staff anticipate adjusting next year’s budget to reflect the full-year cost.

The underlying contract, the manager noted, includes a pre-renovation and post-renovation rate; if renovations occur, the post-renovation rate contemplated by the contract is $15 per square foot. The manager described the proposed $11.50 rate as ‘‘a fair and reasonable request’’ in light of utilities being rolled into the rent.

During discussion a councilor urged the council to begin planning now for the museum’s long-term location, saying the current historic post office site may not match the ‘‘prominence’’ the museum merits; other councilors praised recent programming improvements and supported using the two-year extension as time to plan. Councilors mentioned staff additions and rotating exhibits that have raised the museum’s profile.

A motion to approve the ordinance on second reading carried on a roll call vote recorded as 7–0.

What’s next: The two-year extension takes the museum past the end of the current year while staff and council continue planning for any longer-term relocation or renovation. No amendments to the ordinance were recorded during the meeting.