Asbestos found in DIA walls

Removal will cost about $40 million
September 16
BY FRANK PROVENZANO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Renovation of the Detroit Institute of Arts has hit a $40-million snag.

Excessive amounts of asbestos were found throughout the walls and ceilings of the north and south wings. The DIA must gut the wings down to the their structural steel skeletons to remove the asbestos, and then rebuild them.

The unexpected work in those areas, which are currently closed, will cost about $40 million more than what was budgeted, and will push the museum's reopening to late 2007.

On Wednesday, the DIA announced it will recast its fund-raising campaign to cover those costs and others.

The museum had raised $230 million toward its 10-year $331-million campaign, launched in 1999. Starting now, there's a new goal of $180 million.

Instead of ending in five years, fund-raising will continue until 2014, bringing the grand total to modernize the museum to about $430 million. That will cover construction, electrical and interior updates to the museum; building the endowment; and providing operating revenue.

"The change of direction is an unintended occurrence," said DIA board chair Eugene Gargaro. "We couldn't plan for something like this."

The DIA has passed air-quality tests for the last five years.

Gargaro said no worker, museum employee or visitor has been exposed to toxic levels of asbestos in the wings, which were built as additions to the main building in the late 1960s.

During the ongoing renovations, only the central part of the museum -- known as the original Cret building -- is open to the public. About 600 pieces from the museum's collection are on exhibit.

DIA Director Graham Beal says the fund-raising appeal has to strike a delicate balance.

"We don't want to say the sky is falling" on the museum, he said. "We don't want to give the impression that if you come, we won't be up to snuff. But we have to get beyond the feeling that everybody loves us, but no one wants to pay for us."

The DIA is competing with other nonprofits for private, corporate and foundation dollars at a time when state and federal funds have been cut drastically.

The museum received about $16 million from the state's annual arts grant budget 10 years ago; it will likely get about $2 million in the fiscal year beginning in October.