Could children's museum move to Naper Settlement?

A Naperville City Council candidate is floating the idea of moving the cash-strapped DuPage Children's Museum to the Naper Settlement campus.

Joe McElroy, a member of the city's plan commission, is suggesting the possibility of such a move as an option in lieu of the city providing long-term funding for the museum.

"There's probably not enough room for a building the size they have now, but there could be a lot of other synergies there," he said Wednesday. "The other advantage to that is you could put the (children's museum) land, which is right next to a very busy train station, back on the tax rolls. I think people, once this recession is over, would pay a good deal of money to live close to the train."

Officials from both museums say while they wouldn't rule it out, the idea presents plenty of challenges.

The DuPage Children's Museum has been struggling to pay the $9.4 million debt remaining from when it moved to Naperville in 2001.

One of the challenges it faces is that it's ineligible for state and federal grants because the building is on private land.

While the museum receives some financial support from Naperville through grants, it is now looking for long-term solutions for retiring its debt. Otherwise, its leaders say, it may have to leave the city.

But some city councilmen, as well council candidates running in the April 7 election, have expressed reservations about using large sums of tax dollars that would be needed to fulfill a long-term plan.

McElroy has the same concerns but said an alternative could be for the museum to move to the campus of Naper Settlement at 523 S. Webster St.

The 19th-century museum village sits on about 12 acres that once was part of the Caroline Martin Mitchell estate that was donated to the city in 1936 for public uses.

Naper Settlement Executive Director Peggy Frank said McElroy informally shared the idea with her but she has not seen a formal request or talked to the DuPage Children's Museum about it.

"It would be something so totally different than what the children's museum has today, especially on an immediate basis," she said. "We do not have many large indoor spaces. Plus, we're heavily programmed out ourselves.

"But ... if somebody formally and appropriately spoke us to us would we listen? Absolutely ... but nothing of that nature (has occurred)."

The Naperville Heritage Society is working on a long-range plan for the settlement but Frank said that also utilizes the entire campus for a mix of historical buildings and open space that can be used for festivals and other events.

Alison Segebarth, director of marketing and membership for the DuPage Children's Museum, said it will leave no stone unturned but there are other solutions that may be more viable than moving to the settlement grounds.

"I think there's many considerations to be made in terms of what's most financially feasible, what has win-win on it for both sides," she said. "So it's one that has possibilities but there are several other ones that are possibilities."

Among the other proposals the museum is exploring are a naming gift, the city purchasing the property, sizable grants from Naperville's Special Events and Cultural Amenities Fund and compatible commercial development on the land.

Segebarth said the museum is trying to foster dialogue with civic leaders at the city, park district, county and state levels but hopes the Naperville City Council will lead the way in committing to help with long-term funding.