August 28, 2019

Tuscaloosa, Ala. – The City of Tuscaloosa, the Tuscaloosa Public Library and the Children’s Hands-On Museum (CHOM) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in order to explore the use of the Tuscaloosa News building as a shared-use facility.

The City is currently negotiating with Gatehouse Media to purchase the facility and develop a timeline that will benefit all parties. For this partnership to succeed, each party has a role to play and we at the city are excited to be in the position to help facilitate the collaboration that will benefit of our youth for years to come. When discussions are complete, the terms of the agreement and project timeline will be disclosed. If approved, the project scope and details will be reviewed by the Elevate Tuscaloosa Advisory Council to ensure accountability and to provide recommendations to the City Council. The review process will allow our community to create a state-of-the-art facility while affording both the library and CHOM time to raise funds for this iconic site and transformative opportunity.  

Elevate Tuscaloosa demands that, together, we create a center of excellence that achieves innovation, integrates technology, and provides an interactive educational experience.  In addition, the partnership between the library and CHOM maximizes efficiencies, while maintaining their core identities, and expanding their missions. Although the MOU is not a binding agreement between the parties, it is significant for two reasons. 

First, Tuscaloosa, Northport and Tuscaloosa County deserve a Children’s Museum and library that are experiential and vibrant.  This MOU provides a realistic pathway to imagine and explore a bold direction. Second, it affirms that Elevate Tuscaloosa creates vast opportunities to partner with agencies, businesses, and individuals. Future partnerships like this are the catalyst for implementing exciting initiatives that will build a brighter future.