Chillicothe — A learning resource for young children will be expanding upward this year. The “Mighty Children’s Museum” got approval for exterior changes to their location at 21 East 4th Street, just around the corner from downtown Chillicothe.
Eric Karhoff with JCKL Architects explained the plans to the Design Review Board on Thursday – which includes an additional door on the southern street side, renovated third floor windows, a second-floor deck over the former back stage, and a stairway on the north side.
Karhoff said interior work (which the DRB does not review) includes an additional elevator from the second floor to the third floor, as well as a stairway. He said the third floor has been accessible by only a ladder for years. Work is supposed to be finished by July 2026.
The building was a movie theater for almost 80 years, using only the hollowed-out first and second floors. Last named the Adena, it closed in 1986. The front part, on South Paint Street, is now Paper City Coffee.
Karhoff guessed this will add more than 3,000 usable square feet to its current approximatly 9,000. Hear him in the video, and get a glimpse of the plans, below.
The website of the “Mighty Children’s Museum” states that their vision is “to become a community resource in early childhood learning and development for kids from birth to seven years, with a special emphasis on children age three to five years old…”
As for the renovation, “the third floor space will become a space for the older demographic, 8 to 13 year old, to engage in STEM based learning and discovery.
“The 2nd floor mezzanine which currently acts as our Birthday Party space will transition into an art space…”
