The Port of The Dalles has purchased the building at 206 Madison and plans to lease it to the museum over the next five years, allowing WonderWorks the opportunity to raise the estimated $550,000 needed to buy and renovate the building.

WonderWorks approached its supporters, including Kristi McCavic of the port, to seek help and advice, according to Kristen Booth, the organization’s president.

“The McCavics have always been big supporters of us,” Booth said. McCavic suggested the group approach the port.

Originally, WonderWorks had an investor who had agreed to help buy the Madison Street building, but changes in the real estate and banking industries over the past year derailed that plan.

Plan B, now known as WonderWorks’ angel, was the Port of The Dalles. The port purchased the building in December for $251,342 and will lease it to WonderWorks for $1,446 per month, payable every six months.

“The crux of the agreement is that they will be able to purchase the building from us within five years,” said Andrea Klaas, port executive director. “In that time, they will be able to turn the building into a children’s museum.”

WonderWorks falls a bit outside the port’s mission to stimulate job growth, business expansion and new business, but Klaas offered a couple of reasons why the port agreed to the plan.

“We need to be able to have services and amenities in the community to attract families to this area,” Klaas said. She offered Google as a prime example. Many of the employees are younger and have young families. “We want things for the spouses and families to do in the community.”

As a backup stance, Klaas noted that the building is zoned industrial.

“If this building is not able to move forward, there is a probable reuse for some of the industrial facility there,” Klaas said. “It seemed like it was a good partnership to be able to work with WonderWorks and to be able to give the community and WonderWorks the opportunity to fulfill their ideas.”

WonderWorks pays not only the purchase price of the building, but also any costs the port may incur on the transaction, so there is no end cost to the taxpayers, Klaas added.

Other local organizations are also involved in the WonderWorks effort. Design Structures LLC has donated the designs for the building. Betsy Hege, who coordinated that aspect, is a former WonderWorks board member, who led an earlier drive to find a permanent home for the museum.

“She wanted to see us complete the project she started,” Booth said.

Board member Anne Kelly is the project manager for the construction project.

The project has already received assurance of some funding through the Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency. An urban renewal grant will allow the organization to install a new roof and heating-cooling system. They hope to get that completed this spring, Kelly said.

The organization’s goal is to make the building as energy-efficient as possible, and to use the highest standard possible in construction recycling practices, as well as to use environmentally friendly materials.

The museum has contracted with Hat Creek Consulting, Ltd., a Hood River-based fundraising firm, to coordinate the fundraising. The firm has a great deal of experience in capital campaigns and has created a fundraising plan designed to raise money from local sources, as well as state and regional foundations.

“The plan is to conservatively progress as we apply for grant money,” Kelly said. The group expects the project will be completed and Wonderworks will be open around mid-2011.

Contractor Dave Adams, whose wife Michelle serves on the board, has volunteered to serve as general contractor for the project, Kelly added.

WonderWorks will also work on ideas and funding for new exhibits for the children’s museum.

“Probably some of the [old exhibits] we can reuse, but it’s all been sitting in storage for quite a while,” Kelly said. “The exhibit portion of the renovation will probably follow the building process.”

Kelly encouraged anyone with ideas or a willingness to sponsor prospective exhibits to contact her at 295-1057.

One thing they are considering is exhibits about renewable energy.

“That’s an easy thing to do here,” she said. “A solar contractor is working with us about trying to get some solar on the building.” Wind and hydropower are also some obvious choices for the local area.

One goal the larger museum space will help WonderWorks accomplish is to expand the age range of exhibits and activities. The 5,000-square-foot building will quadruple the current “Play Station” space the museum has inside the UCC Congregational Church.

The limited space only allows room for exhibits appropriate to children from birth to 4 years old. WonderWorks hopes to expand that range to age 14.

The museum layout developed by Design Structures will include 50 percent open space for exhibits and creative movement, two classrooms, an art room, a break room and restrooms. An area in the back will be partitioned off and rented for storage or studio space to help defray initial operating costs.

The increased space will also increase the number of services available to young people and other organizations that serve them in the community, a background paper on the subject notes. At present, groups such as Families First rent space to offer programs to their new parents.

About WonderWorks: WonderWorks was established in 1977 by several young mothers in The Dalles who felt the isolation of raising small children and lamented the lack of activities for their children and others in The Dalles.

For more than 30 years, it has served as a hub of stimulating, engaging activities where families can meet and connect with other families with young children.

“It is a place where we bring Socrates’ quote to life; it is a place where ‘wisdom begins with wonder,’” background information says.