The Eastern Kentucky Board of Regents reviewed four options for the aging Hummel Planetarium, which has been closed since 2019.
Due to outdated technology, aging infrastructure, and an exterior structure deemed unsafe, full restoration of the building and dome would cost $11.2 million, $10.7 million for a full restoration with the same dome painted, or $2 million to stabilize the exterior while leaving the facility unusable for programming.
The board voted Wednesday to pursue a state-of-the-art immersive experience laboratory in the Black Box Theater at the EKU Center for the Arts. Officials with the university said the immersive experience will "preserve the engaging, interactive elements of the Hummel Planetarium while still leveraging modern technology in what the university calls a safe, flexible, and cost-effective environment."
A press release from the university said the new space has strong faculty support and will continue providing high-quality educational experiences for learners of all ages across the Commonwealth.
EKU Chief of Staff Colleen Chaney said that option would cost around $200,000 and would be the most cost-effective for the university.
“It's, in relation, a pretty small dollar investment, related comparatively to $11.2 (million). It also allows the technology to upgrade with that much easier and, quite candidly, gets a lot more use out of that,” she said.
Historically, the planetarium makes around $200,000 from schools each year. Officials said it would cost around $800,000 to raze the building. The Board voted to surplus the building, incorporate the site into the campus master plan, and explore demolition
WEKU previously reported that any decision for the planetarium would have to be figured into the school’s budget for the next fiscal year. The Board of Regents motioned to have the planetarium razed in the meantime, but is keeping the option open to have it repurposed.
The university will be soliciting vendors through a Request for Information process for the immersive experience lab to be reviewed by a committee of university staff and faculty in the coming months.
