Inside the Southwest Museum Part III: The Coalition's Vision

The following is the third in a three-part series on the in Mount Washington. Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch recently toured the soon-to-be 100-year-old building, and got a first hand look at the extensive work that is being done to catalog and preserve the massive collection stored there.

focused on the state of the collection and the restoration effort. of the series looked at the condition of the historic structure. In the final installment, we consider two distinct futures laid out for museum. The first part of the third installment considers the arguments of the Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition.

For more background on the Southwest Museum and the debate over its future,

The Autry National Center and the Friends of the Southwest Museum Coaltion have locked horns over numerous issues since the Autry merged with the struggling Southwest Museum and took control of the historic building in 2003.

Their battles, which have taken place in front of the Los Angeles City Council and numerous subcommittees, have revealed differences in interpretations of city planning guidelines, environmental laws and even public meeting law.

However, the ongoing debate has always come down to one question; “Does the Southwest Museum have a future as a fully functioning museum?”

Nicole Possert, of the Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition, said that the 2003 study of the museum by the firm Economic Research Associates (ERA) and a subsequent peer review by the firm ConsultEcon has already answered this question with a resounding "yes."

“The Friends of the Southwest Museum Coaltion’s position is based upon factual evidence presented by two professional firms working in the museum field,” Possert said. “They both concur that the museum is viable economically.”

The 2003 ERA economic report was conducted as part of Levin & Associates’ overarching study of the Southwest Museum, which was commissioned by the Autry National Center.

Options A and B

The report lays out two possible futures for the museum, referred to as Option A and Option B.

Option A calls for a $16 million renovation to bring the building up to modern building code and museum performance standards.

The more ambitious option B calls for a $22.8 million renovation, which would both bring up the building up to modern code and performance standards and install several revenue enhancing additions.

The plan would also call for the regrading of the parking lot, in order to increase the number of parking spaces from 85 to more than 100, which would accommodate the anticipated increase in attendance.

Both estimates are based on projected 2007 construction costs.

This report takes into account the size of the potential market for the Southwest Museum, which in 2003 comprised about 13.3 million people in a 50 million radius, the majority of whom earned annual incomes comparable to or greater than the national average.

Expansion of Exhibition Space

Those enhancements include, among other plans, the expansion of the amount of exhibition space within museum, the installation of a new café and an increase in programming, including lectures and hands-on classes.

Through Option B, the ERA report foresees the Southwest Museum being able to earn an annual income of $1.3 million, while operating an annual expense of $3.5 million. This option would leave the Autry to raise $2.2 million per-year, an amount the ERA report considers in line with industry standards.

Possert said that, in the eyes of the coalition, the ERA report lays out the vision of a sustainable economic future for the Southwest Museum.

“The question raised is one of the policy of the owner to undertake their fiduciary role to actually fundraise,” Possert said. "Autry has no data on the side of the argument against the economic viability of the museum. Where is there data that is is not economically viable?"

Check Patch later today for the Autry's arguments against reopening the Southwest Museum as a full-scale museum.