Museum’s High Costs Deter Cities : Finances: Officials cite the $35-million price tag for Southwest’s relocation. But some in Ventura are still interested.

Early clamoring to woo the Southwest Museum to Ventura County has faded to a disgruntled whimper, as officials from several cities say they will be hard-pressed to come up with enough money to attract the prestigious institution.

The Southwest Museum this month mailed letters to prospective host cities, requesting at least $35 million to cover the costs of moving from its Highland Park facility and building new exhibition space. In addition to the money, the museum will need land or other incentives, Executive Director Thomas H. Wilson said.

“That puts us out of the running, no question about it,” Moorpark City Councilman Scott Montgomery said. “It’s real disappointing. Only heavily urban, metropolitan areas will be able to come up with that kind of money and the truth is, the museum would be a perfect match for a more rural setting, someplace where a piece of the history it documents might still be alive.”

The cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Simi Valley, Moorpark and Thousand Oaks have all expressed interest in the Southwest Museum. Several proposals have also emerged from the private sector, including a Fillmore rancher’s plan to build a historical theme park centered around the museum’s renowned collection of American Indian artifacts.

Despite the $35-million price tag, some Ventura city officials remained gung-ho and said they would urge the private sector to help them land the museum.

“The Southwest Museum would be a wonderful addition to our city,” Ventura Councilman Gary Tuttle said. “If people are willing to come up to the plate, we’ll see what happens.”

Mayor Gregory Carson emphasized his desire to see the museum in Ventura and said the council could consider floating bonds or developing a partnership with private groups to fund the relocation.

But elsewhere in Ventura County, city leaders dispiritedly predicted they would have to withdraw their bids. “They’re a prestigious museum, but I can’t see anyone coming up with that amount of money. It’s mind-boggling,” Thousand Oaks Councilman Frank Schillo said. “Certainly, the city of Thousand Oaks would not be interested.”

Already struggling to raise an endowment for Thousand Oaks’ half-completed performing arts center, the county’s cultural groups would likely be hard-pressed to find donors for the Southwest Museum, analysts said. Even more difficult would be securing pledges to back the museum before the institution’s directors settle on a new location.

Formal proposals from interested cities are due Nov. 30, and museum officials will be looking for details about where the $35 million would come from.

But most prospective donors will probably remain coy until the museum picks a site and starts digging a foundation, said Stephen D. Woodworth, chairman of the Alliance for the Arts, which has raised $2 million for Thousand Oaks’ Civic Arts Plaza.

Money for the performing arts center began pouring in only when the building started going up, Woodworth said, because donors did not want to commit funds until they could see the auditorium take shape.

Still, Southwest’s Wilson insisted that the $35-million figure is realistic. He has sent letters to 80 cities and private developers and expects proposals to begin trickling in during the next two weeks.

“Money is very hard to get, but it is out there,” he said. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

The daunting price, however, appears to have sapped several cities’ wills.

“It’s not insurmountable, but we certainly don’t have $35 million to spend,” Oxnard Councilman Michael Plisky said. “It would require skillful work with the private sector to make it work, and frankly I don’t see it happening in the near future. It’s a tall order.”