Museum proposal to expand
By Emily Fancher
Staff Writer
Disney foundation plans to rent historic Presidio building
The Disney Family Foundation plans to boost its presence in the Presidio, increasing significantly the amount of space it rents in the national park.
In 2004, the foundation announced plans to open a museum honoring the life of Walt Disney in historic barracks, prompting some park advocates to question if the museum would be an appropriate tenant.
Plans for a family library and possibly rehabilitating and renting a second building will be announced soon, officials said.
The museum will hold a prominent place in the Main Post, which officials hope to revitalize in the coming years with gardens and fields as part of a larger vision to draw more visitors.
Tia Lombardi said the Presidio Trust is still in negotiations with the foundation, a nonprofit controlled by Disney’s heirs, on expanding to 122 Riley, a 17,000-square-foot building near the barracks the foundation expects will house the museum. Lombardi said she had no estimate on how much the entire project would cost, but added it would likely be more than $5 million to retrofit each structure.
The additional building could be the site of a family library and other uses, according to minutes of a board of directors meeting.
“It could easily double the size of the project,” said John Pelka, who works on environmental review for the Presidio Trust, the organization charged with overseeing the national park.
Lombardi said the trust will hold a meeting with the community this spring to discuss changes to the plans and unveil revised designs. An environmental review will follow, she said.
John Rizzo, head of the local chapter of the Sierra Club, said his organization continues to oppose the museum.
“It’s actually probably part of the marketing machine of the Disney corporation,” he said. “We still believe the Presidio’s original stated mission is to house groups that are doing good for society.”
Lombardi said the museum is not a marketing tool for the company.
“The Disney Family Foundation is not the Disney Corporation,” she said. “There is no relationship between the two.”
Disney’s daughter, Diane Miller, did not respond to requests for comment made through a spokesperson at a winery she owns.
Steven Krefting of the Presidio Environmental Council said he has mixed feelings about the museum. “I realize the need to find entities that can fund retrofitting of those brick buildings,” he said, referring to the huge cost to upgrade the park’s historic structures. “But at the same time, the connection between Disney and the park is tenuous. “
Redmond Kernan, of the Fort Point and Presidio Historical Association, agrees, but he added that the upside is the museum could help increase the visibility of the park.
“If it draws people, that isn’t all bad,” he said.
By Emily Fancher
Staff Writer
Disney foundation plans to rent historic Presidio building
The Disney Family Foundation plans to boost its presence in the Presidio, increasing significantly the amount of space it rents in the national park.
In 2004, the foundation announced plans to open a museum honoring the life of Walt Disney in historic barracks, prompting some park advocates to question if the museum would be an appropriate tenant.
Plans for a family library and possibly rehabilitating and renting a second building will be announced soon, officials said.
The museum will hold a prominent place in the Main Post, which officials hope to revitalize in the coming years with gardens and fields as part of a larger vision to draw more visitors.
Tia Lombardi said the Presidio Trust is still in negotiations with the foundation, a nonprofit controlled by Disney’s heirs, on expanding to 122 Riley, a 17,000-square-foot building near the barracks the foundation expects will house the museum. Lombardi said she had no estimate on how much the entire project would cost, but added it would likely be more than $5 million to retrofit each structure.
The additional building could be the site of a family library and other uses, according to minutes of a board of directors meeting.
“It could easily double the size of the project,” said John Pelka, who works on environmental review for the Presidio Trust, the organization charged with overseeing the national park.
Lombardi said the trust will hold a meeting with the community this spring to discuss changes to the plans and unveil revised designs. An environmental review will follow, she said.
John Rizzo, head of the local chapter of the Sierra Club, said his organization continues to oppose the museum.
“It’s actually probably part of the marketing machine of the Disney corporation,” he said. “We still believe the Presidio’s original stated mission is to house groups that are doing good for society.”
Lombardi said the museum is not a marketing tool for the company.
“The Disney Family Foundation is not the Disney Corporation,” she said. “There is no relationship between the two.”
Disney’s daughter, Diane Miller, did not respond to requests for comment made through a spokesperson at a winery she owns.
Steven Krefting of the Presidio Environmental Council said he has mixed feelings about the museum. “I realize the need to find entities that can fund retrofitting of those brick buildings,” he said, referring to the huge cost to upgrade the park’s historic structures. “But at the same time, the connection between Disney and the park is tenuous. “
Redmond Kernan, of the Fort Point and Presidio Historical Association, agrees, but he added that the upside is the museum could help increase the visibility of the park.
“If it draws people, that isn’t all bad,” he said.
