Big changes are coming to the Motown Museum in Detroit, which will turn it into a “world-class tourist destination,” reports The Detroit Free Press and WXZY.
The current museum is solely housed in the Hitsville, USA building. It was purchased by Berry Gordy in 1959. A 50,000-square foot facility will be built around the Hitsville building, and include interactive exhibits, a performance theater, recording studios and retail. It will have multiple floors and early depictions show a large complex surrounding the original building.
The museum is now run by Gordy family and was started in 1985. The expansion will allow the museum’s collection to draw from private collections and go beyond Motown. It is currently said to only contain a “fraction of the operation’s memorabilia collection.”
“When I look back on that magical time in Detroit, I’m reminded of how a company, based on love, fairness and competition, came together to create something special. It was about music and so much more. It brings me real joy, and I am proud and humbled to know that the inclusive legacy of Motown, and the most talented people who are so near and dear to my heart, will have their stories told in this new museum,” said Gordy.
Robin R. Terry, the chairwoman and CEO of the Motown CEO said the new museum will serve as both global and local communities an “educational resource” while creating a “mecca” of music and entertainment history.
“This expanded facility will be an exhilarating national and international tourist destination which will allow us to narrate and celebrate on a much larger scale what the Motown legacy is recognized for: unmatched creative genius that transcends every barrier imaginable by bringing people together from all walks of life to share in that unmistakable Motown Sound,” she said.
There are not any concrete dates for the construction timeline of the project but more news of its development will be announced soon.
