City of Decatur approves new expansion for Cook Museum
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The Decatur City Council approved funds for an expansion of the Cook Museum of Natural Science Monday night, voting 4-1 to move forward with a $43 million investment toward the museum.
This comes just a few months after Gov. Kay Ivey designated the Cook Museum as the North Alabama STEM Center. Here’s what to know:
Cook Museum to undergo expansion
The expansion would nearly double the museum’s size to approximately 120,000 square feet. Also, the expansion is aided by more than $9 million in state funding.
Additions will include:
- STEM labs
- Event spaces
- Programming areas
- New exhibition galleries
One significant addition, which will be the city’s responsibility, is the construction of a new parking deck to add capacity for up to 500 additional vehicles. The parking structure would also benefit the adjacent Princess Theatre and serve a planned 130-room hotel downtown.
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