Motown Museum awarded part of $7.2 million grant
(CBS DETROIT) - Grants worth $7.2 million are being distributed by the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, and groups like the Motown Museum in Detroit and the Cranbrook Institute of Science received a piece of it.
For the Motown Museum, $1 million was granted, inching them closer to the $65 million dollar campaign goal for the Motown Museum Expansion Project.
"It helps us get to the finish line," says Paul Barker, who's now the director of development with the museum.
Barker started with the museum as a volunteer in 1988. He says as they near their goal of $65 million, fans of the Motown Museum know there are big plans on the horizon.
"Anyone involved with construction at this point knows that the sooner you can raise the capital needed to close it out, the sooner you can finish the project," Barker said.
A multitude of organizations got a piece of the $7.2 million as part of the quarterly grants awarded from the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation. These include not only the Cranbrook Institute of Science and the Motown Museum, but other groups like the Michigan Environmental Council and the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
"They're getting close to reaching their final goal. You know when you have a capital campaign, alot of times the last dollars in are the hardest ones to get," says John Erb, the foundation's president. The foundation granted the Motown Museum $1 million towards the beginning of their project, $2 million collectively.
Barker says the project has gathered just over $55 million at this time. He says the $2 million from this foundation will go towards phase three of the project, which is the creation of this nearly 40,000 square foot space for exhibits, a theater and more.
