Correction: This story originally misstated the ownership of the property for the future museum. The property is owned by the Carmel Midtown Community Development Corporation.
Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard concluded his remarks during his final State of the City address by announcing that the Great American Songbook Foundation has reached a preliminary agreement with the city to open a museum celebrating the genre just north of the Palladium.
The 3.7-acre site on the northeast corner of City Center Drive and 3rd Ave. SW is home to Salon 01 and a building that houses Laser Flash and Magnetic Concepts. The three businesses plan to relocate. The parcels are owned by the Carmel Midtown Community Development Corporation, an arm of the Carmel Redevelopment Commission.
The pre-lease agreement between the foundation and Carmel Midtown Community Development Corporation sets the final agreement commencing no later than May 1, 2027. It outlines a 50-year lease at $1 per year, according to the foundation, and is contingent on removal of existing structures on-site, completion of a feasibility study demonstrating the site is suitable for a museum, and completion of a feasibility study indicating the foundation can execute a capital campaign and support the museum.
According to the agreement, once the lease begins, the foundation must launch a capital campaign within 18 months, obtain final design approval from the CRC, begin construction within five years, complete construction within three years and maintain liability insurance on the land and all improvements.
Chris Lewis, executive director of the foundation, said the nonprofit has “years of work” to complete before breaking ground on the museum.
“Selecting a site is a key early step in the process of realizing our long-term vision, which is to create a freestanding facility dedicated to the history and the future of American popular music,” Lewis said. “With a specific location in mind, we now can proceed with preliminary designs, feasibility studies and other elements needed to establish a case for a national capital campaign.”
The museum is expected to provide interactive exhibits and include a research center. It would house the Songbook Library & Archives, which includes more than 500,000 items related to the development of popular music since the early 20th century. The foundation is currently headquartered at the Palladium, and its collection is housed at a nearby facility.
Bringing the museum to Carmel has long been a goal for Brainard, who will leave office at the end of the year.
Learn more at TheSongbook.org.
