Rumor control: Does the Health Adventure have enough money to finish building Momentum?

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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A question from a loyal reader, regarding the construction of the Health Adventure’s planned new $25 million children’s museum, Momentum, on Broadway. The web site hasn’t been updated recently: the project opening date has been moved back from this fall to 2011.

I’ve been hearing questions about this project from more than one person around town of late:

Regarding the Art Museum’s move into the space now occupied by the Health Adventure, neighbors whose properties are affected by the clear cut “barren wasteland” that we see each and every day from our kitchen windows are curious to know why there has been so little activity on site since last summer. Are our worst fears coming true? Rumor has it THA doesn’t have the money to complete the project. 

That’s the question. 

The reason so many people are watching this project is because a couple of other big projects waiting to start can’t get going until the Health Adventure moves out of its current location in Pack Place in the heart of downtown. The Asheville Art Museum is planning a major expansion into the vacated space, and the Diana Wortham Theatre will do a little work, too.