The History Center of Traverse City is temporarily suspending its operational hours effective today (Monday) while the nonprofit's board of directors works to determine the long-term fate of the organization.

History Center board members notified city officials last month they could not keep up with operational costs for the city-owned Carnegie Building and were terminating their lease agreement with the city. The termination meant the History Center would need to vacate the Carnegie Building by November 15, with responsibility for the building and the city's Con Foster collection reverting to the city. An ad hoc committee of the city commission is now in the process of reviewing long-term options for the property, including scenarios which would allow the History Center to stay and/or possibly share the space with the newly merged Crooked Tree Arts Center Traverse City.

But History Center Acting Executive Director Maddie Buteyn tells The Ticker city staff have informed her the ad hoc committee's review could stretch as long as spring 2015, and that there's “no chance” the city will grant the History Center a temporary agreement to remain in the building until those discussions are resolved.

“I've spoken with the city manager and he's told us that if we don't make (other) plans before the fifteenth, the building could be closed with our collections in it...and we wouldn't be allowed in to access them,” Buteyn says. “One of the major reasons we wanted to be off the lease was we couldn't afford to keep managing the building for the city. But we were hoping we could reach a temporary agreement to stay in place until (the ad hoc committee's) decision was made. It'd be disappointing if the city ultimately made a decision to let us be there and we were already moved out.”

In preparation for that possibility, however, Buteyn says her board will vote Tuesday night on one of two potential locations that could become a new home for the History Center. The move to suspend operational hours is designed to “make sure we preserve the nonprofit,” Buteyn says, and allow the board to focus on the History Center's possible move and upcoming fundraising events. If the city decides not to intervene in the organization's departure or extend an agreement to stay, Buteyn says she hopes officials will “allow us a cushion of time in moving our items out.”

“There's no way we can move our collection in a week,” she says of Saturday's vacancy deadline. “We hope they'll give us leniency. We're trying to make decisions to remain functional...so if we can't exist in the Carnegie Building, we can exist elsewhere in the city."