SAN BENITO — By now, residents here thought they would be walking through the doors the city’s new museum.
Now, nearly a year after its completion, city leaders say the $1.7 million San Benito Cultural Heritage Center is opening — soon.
But the 7,000-square-foot building will open without the city’s three flagship museums — the San Benito History Museum, Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame & Museum and the Freddy Fender Museum.
Earlier this week, Mayor Ben Gomez said residents want to know why the museum has not opened.
“I’m all for the museum. I think the concern is having an empty building and paying a director,” Gomez said, referring to museum coordinator Luis Contreras.
Wayne Powell, president of the San Benito History Museum, said he welcomes the city’s push to open it.
“Now they’re in a hurry,” Powell said yesterday. “Now they’re getting serious about it. That’s good.”
Factors including the discovery of termites have delayed the museum’s opening, City Manager Manuel De La Rosa stated yesterday.
“The city has encountered some delays in the past that have slowed the move-in process, including the discovery of termites in some of the exhibits and office space,” De La Rosa told the City Commission in a meeting Tuesday. “We didn’t want to move those items into the new museum. The city owns the building but not the exhibits. The museum groups have the responsibility for the care and maintenance of their displays.”
Rey Avila, founder of the Conjunto Hall of Fame and Museum, said termites were found in the Community Center, his museum’s site since 2008.
It’s not something that should delay the new museum’s opening.
“They were around the showcases, in the wood, but they’re not infested,” Avila said. “It’s not critical. You can find termites all over South Texas.”
The city sprays for termites in that building, Avila said.
Touring exhibit
In Tuesday’s meeting, De La Rosa said the building will open without the local museums’ exhibits.
“If I can’t get the nonprofits in, why don’t we get these other exhibits?” De La Rosa told commissioners.
De La Rosa said the center will likely open with a display of the Mexican consulate’s touring exhibit.
“The city is having ongoing conversations with the museums and the Mexican consulate’s office to consider possible exhibits for the museum,” De La Rosa stated.
That exhibit might include art, music and other art forms.
“I instructed staff to expedite, that is to avoid unnecessary delays, the discussions to populate the building with quality exhibits and presentations,” De La Rosa stated. “We will continue to work with the museums’ groups, and other professional entities as well, to utilize the museum to the City’s, best advantage.”
Traveling exhibits will draw more visitors to the museum, De La Rosa stated.
“I am not a fan of stagnant exhibits,” he stated. “We need fresh displays so we will attract more tourists. In the new museum, we desire to have professional, quality exhibits from our own museums and from touring shows that will attract more local and regional visitors to our city.”
Contract talks
After about a year, the city continues to negotiate lease agreements with the San Benito History Museum and the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame, which are merging, De La Rosa stated.
Now, the local groups are working with the Internal Revenue Service to receive tax-exempt status for their new organization.
“Just recently, they decided to basically merge and operate as one IRS-recognized nonprofit group,” De La Rosa stated. “It is taking some time for them to work with the IRS, and to sort out details so both can be represented equitably,”
The group is close to finalizing a lease agreement with the city, Powell said.
“We’re getting closer,” he said. “It’s a negotiation process. We can’t even go in the building until we get the contract done.”
Soon after finalizing the agreement, the group might be moving some exhibits into the new building, Powell said.
It remains unclear whether the Freddy Fender Museum will move into the new building.
For 10 years, Fender’s legacy and hit songs have helped draw fans to the 1,000-square-foot space the three museums share in the Community Center.
Earlier this year, Vangie Huerta, Fender’s widow, said she had requested the city enter into an agreement in which the city would prominently display Fender’s name outside the new museum while compensating her for the use of his artifacts.
“Ms. Huerta has expressed her desires in conversations with Mr. Luis Contreras and with me during separate conversations,” De La Rosa stated. “It is my hope that some of the Freddy Fender exhibits will be displayed in the city’s Cultural Heritage Museum. However, a decision has not been made and discussions continue to be had and written agreements still need to be negotiated and finalized.”
