You will need to wait a bit longer to check out the revamped New Brunswick Museum.
Officials had initially hoped to welcome visitors through the doors in Saint John once again in 2026.
That opening date was later pushed back to 2027 as the groundbreaking took place last year.
Now, officials at the museum expect it will be 2028 before they open their doors once again.
Tracy Clinch, who chairs the museum’s board, said construction started a bit later than anticipated.
“Operations was preparing the tender documents, really solidifying the costs of the building and ensuring that through the feasibility study, we could afford to build the New Brunswick Museum as it was outlined,” Clinch said in a recent interview.
“But also to have all of the marketing assets around the ‘Making History Now’ campaign in place so that when we did launch the campaign, we were really ready for it.”
Clinch said the building is still on track to be completed by late 2027 or early 2028, with the goal of opening to the public by that summer.
RELATED: N.B. Museum aims to raise $35M for revitalization project
The New Brunswick Museum permanently closed its exhibition centre in Saint John’s Market Square in Oct. 2022.
It had been shut down for the better part of two years — first due to COVID-19, then due to required building repairs as a result of leaks.
Officials decided to renovate the existing museum and add an expansion rather than building a brand new facility.
When finished, the 134,000-square-foot facility will house research, exhibition, and community spaces under one roof, including a café, boutique, and library.
The museum recently launched a $35-million fundraising campaign for the revitalization project, which included a $3-million contribution from J.D. Irving, Limited.
Clinch said lots of meetings have been happening, and they are feeling very confident about the fundraising efforts.
“We’re looking forward in the coming weeks to having more major announcements of funding coming from other parts of the country as well as other areas of New Brunswick,” she added.
Provincial and federal officials announced nearly $108 million in funding for the long-awaited project in early 2024.
