The GWTW's current home is in what used to be Captain Billy's Fish House, a building that adjoins the DMDA-owned Kennesaw House facing the railroad tracks off Marietta Square.
The city pays the rent for the GWTW Museum building in a sublease to the DMDA. The DMDA, in turn, cuts a check to building owners George Thomas, Jr. and his brother, Murphy Thomas, for $44,000 per year.
The lease expires Dec. 31, City Manager Bill Bruton said.
The Marietta Museum of History leases the second and third floors of Kennesaw House from the DMDA. MMH officials have attempted to lease the first floor from the DMDA ever since developer Wes Godwin terminated a lease he had on it in January 2009. Since then, the first floor has remained vacant.
MMH Chairman Brent Brown believes the DMDA has held the first floor hostage until the City Council agrees to its parking deck proposal, a charge DMDA Chairman Tom Browning denies. Browning has proposed deeding Kennesaw House to the city in exchange for the city allowing the DMDA to charge for parking around the Square. Were the city to allow the DMDA to charge for parking for a couple of decades, it would pay for the construction of a DMDA-owned parking deck off Mill Street.
Meantime, the first floor of Kennesaw House remains empty, which is why Mayor Steve Tumlin said Fulmer's idea to house both museums in the same building might be a good one, saving the city $44,000 a year in rent to the Thomas brothers.
"I think that's definitely on the table. I think we've got to keep our options open, especially in these economic times," Tumlin said.
Fulmer spoke of the efficiencies that could be created by combining the two museums in the same building, such as having one gift shop rather than two.
In other business, the DMDA approved dishing out its $90,000 in sponsorship money. The DMDA agreed to fund $17,000 for Theatre in the Square, $18,000 for the Fourth of July celebration, $20,750 for concerts on the Square; $2,000 to Ruth Mitchell Dance, $2,000 to Atlanta Lyric Theatre, $5,360 for silhouette lighting along the tops of the buildings on the Square, $3,000 for Square landscaping, and $1,500 for the Farmer's Market.
The DMDA also wants to do a media campaign in May, when the construction work on the Square is finished, to encourage shoppers to return. The DMDA will spend $1,500 for two appearances on an Atlanta television news network, split a $5,700 cost with the city to buy commercials on National Public Radio, and use the remainder of the $90,000 on media advertisements as well as a stipend for the Marietta Merchants Association, Browning said.
The eight-member DMDA was created by the Georgia General Assembly for the purpose of the redevelopment of downtown Marietta. It levies a tax of 2.09 mills on the downtown area, with the capacity to raise its millage up to 25 mills, Browning said.
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Marietta's museum always seems to be having tours for children or other programs to engage the community. If they want the first floor, it seems to me the visible impact is already demonstrated and they should get it. We'd all benefit greatly.
GWTW is a very specialized interest and $44K is a lot of money. Instead of moving them into the Kennesaw house, some honest assessment of its impact on the community should be conducted. Perhaps Marietta's museum should take over similar to the way they're handling the aviation wing.