The Ipswich Museum revamp faces a £250,000+ cost increase due to supplier fees and new digital features, pushing the total project to £11.9 million.
Remember that the council went over budget before? It happened last February, about £2.7 million over. They got grants too, including one for £200,000, and another for £376,850.
The project will cost about £11.9 million total. The council must approve an extra £273,685. They will decide this next Tuesday.
The leader, Neil MacDonald, thinks it is a great chance. He feels the museum must be amazing. He stated it likely won’t happen again soon, so we need to make the most of it.
Carole Jones will show the increase to the council. The museum opened in 1881, so this revamp is huge. It should immerse visitors and teach them things.
The museum closed in 2022 for two years. The project is still on schedule overall, even as costs rose. The council thinks it’s still acceptable.
The report said the cost estimate went up, exceeding what they thought in February. They blame supplier fees and the added digital features.
The council thinks it is still affordable, though. The gallery and other parts will cost more, but they have enough money already. They don’t need extra funding right now.