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ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – The Science Museum of Western Virginia will be leaving Center in the Square in Downtown Roanoke, as its lease is up and it will look for a new home.
The lease ends at the end of 2026, according to Center in the Square officials.
“We can confirm that the Science Museum of Western Virginia’s lease is expiring on December 31st, 2026. We wish them much success in finding a new location and would be happy to find new ways to support them in their next space. Though our focus is to utilize the spaces within our buildings to bring people downtown, we understand the value of the Science Museum of Western Virginia’s outreach efforts and look forward to hearing about their future success in this area and beyond. We are looking forward to sharing more information about Center in the Square’s plans for the 4th and 5th floors in the months to come as we are passionate about creating interactive, educational environments that encourage guests to continue visiting Downtown Roanoke.”
Center in the Square says its mission is to be an “active participant in economic development, both locally and regionally, by helping assure the financial health of vital elements of Western and Central Virginia’s cultural quality of life.”
In a statement, Center in the Square says:
As a privately owned nonprofit since 1983, Center in the Square is honored to have continually brought its mission into the present day through the development of new museums, programs, events and more for the local community and visitors to Roanoke.
With expenses upwards of $3.4M each year, Center in the Square is tasked with generating the revenue needed to continually support all of its nonprofit tenants inside of each of its four historic buildings. Fortunately, with the community’s support, it continues to grow and provide rent-free spaces to arts, cultural, and educational nonprofits.
During the early years of Center in the Square’s founding, it solely relied upon its nonprofit tenants to bring this mission to life by providing new and meaningful experiences to the public. In exchange for each one’s willingness to play a role in the economic development of Downtown Roanoke by drawing guests to the area, Center in the Square agreed to provide and maintain rent-free spaces to each of its nonprofit tenants. Center in the Square must routinely consider each tenant’s participation in this mission to continue receiving complimentary space.
Though the two privately owned nonprofits, Center in the Square and the Science Museum of Western Virginia, have partnered for the past 42 years, the future looks even brighter as the two organizations venture into new territories, separately, at the end of the 2026 year.
Stay with WDBJ7 for updates on this developing story.
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