By Michael McFall

The new Utah Museum of Natural History’s price tag could have prevented its construction, and if attendance does not increase as much as has been projected, it may not stay open in its full capacity.
The new museum will cost about $98 million to build. Enough contributions have been raised and construction is scheduled to begin this August.
However, the new museum didn’t always cost what it does today. If construction on the new museum had begun when it was originally scheduled, the project would have cost $65 million.
According to Campus Construction and Design, the cost jumped due to unanticipated construction and exhibit costs. One of the major components in the increase was a decision to terrace the mountainside for the building’s foundation.
When the federal government provided financial support for the project, they also required an environmental impact survey to evaluate the construction’s ecological effect. This delayed the project several years and introduced the idea of terracing the mountain to lower energy consumption.
“Terracing and putting it down into the ground costs money, but it saves money in the long run since energy costs are not as high. So it’s a trade-off, and we had to make choices like that,” said Sarah George, executive director of UMNH.
By terracing the museum into the earth, the ground will provide natural insulation that will cut down on heating and air conditioning costs, said Jennifer Stills, the project manager.
During the delay of the project, the price of construction resources such as copper and cement rose due to an increase in demand and inflation, said John McNary, director of Campus Design and Construction.
The project was also delayed because expenses didn’t add up in favor of the museum’s construction when they were first evaluated by the board, said Anne Asman, who worked as the museum’s marketing manager three years ago.
Once the museum opens in 2011, the board hopes attendance will average around 175,000 people a year in order to satisfy the $5 million expense of running the museum at normal capacity. The current museum annually serves about 75,000 people.
The board consulted three planning groups, including Lord Cultural Resources, about the projected attendance. All three organizations agreed that the museum could expect at least 175,000 people or more. The reports compared the museum’s plans to other museums that have undergone similar projects, such as the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. The Lord Cultural Resources report shows that the Sam Noble Museum was able to increase its average attendance by 150,000 people after construction of its new building.
George expects additions such as an outdoor experience and more expansive and higher-quality exhibits in the new museum’s Red Butte Garden location will help draw a larger crowd when the museum opens two years from now.
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