The Dayton Funk Music Hall of Fame and Exhibition Center is moving out of its current location in the city’s Fire Blocks district. The museum first opened there in December 2017. Officials say rising rent costs forced the move.
Rent for the museum’s current space on East Third Street was originally free, thanks to an agreement with the district's former developer. Under the new development company, rent will rise to $1,400 a month. Funk Center Founder and CEO David Webb says they can’t afford it.
“They gave it to us at market rate, for a non-profit," says Webb. "We don’t make any money. No one in our organization gets paid."
Museum officials are now trying to find a new place to host their collection of funk music artifacts. Webb says their long-term goal is to raise funds to build an entirely new building for the museum. For now, he says, they’re hoping to find a bigger space in Dayton.
The museum will vacate its current space by the end of March. Webb says they’re aiming to reopen in a new location in the coming months.