The community is encouraged to stop in from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to explore the newly renovated first floor, which features its Imagination Factory Children’s Museum and Gus Macker Cafe.

Community Center Executive Director Barb Reisner said they are in the final stages of completing the new space of the first floor at 301 W. Hughitt St.

Crews are finishing the flooring installation; completing kitchen equipment hookups; installing cafeteria booths, tables and chairs; furnishing the Family Resource Room; and putting the final touches on the new Movement Room interactive play structure.

“Excitement is building at the community center,” Reisner said. “Our community once again contributed generously to help make the transition from a 3,000-square-foot museum next door to the 13,000-square-foot first floor children’s museum that now includes office space, a locker room, family resource room, commercial kitchen and cafeteria.”

The Tiny Town room in the Imagination Factory Community Center is ready to have several buildings set up. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News)

She added they are less than two months shy of completing the first phase of the project. “Board members have their fingers crossed that all timelines will be met and the first floor doors will be ready to open,” Reisner said.

To show its appreciation of the “extraordinary supportive community,” the Imagination Factory Board of Directors will host a spring open house and

Gus Macker Launch Party from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 19. Guests will be admitted for free to the children’s museum.

Anyone who signs up to volunteer for the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament in Iron Mountain on Aug. 15-16 will receive a Gus Macker 2026 shirt. Volunteers are also invited to a pizza buffet with their friends and family members.

“Our wonderful historic building has been renovated and designed beautifully to meet the needs of people of all ages in the community and host many guests from across the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin,” said Jonathan Ringel, executive director of the YMCA and co-coordinator of the Imagination Factory Community Center.

Board Member Ed Farrington praised the room designs and the more than 20 skilled contractors who have worked to ensure the entire indoor environment is energizing, modern, safe and filled with healthy, circulating, quality air.

The Imagination Factory Community Center Board of Directors is utilizing Farrington’s extensive experience in lconstruction management.

Construction is now underway on the second-floor Youth Center and the third-floor Family Therapy Center and Celebration Room for large events. An opening date for those spaces will be announced in the coming months.

The new center’s website will go live in March, with expectations that all communication lines will be fully open and accessible.

The Imagination Factory Community Center Capital Campaign will continue through May, with all contributions helping to fund renovations and furnishings for the second and third floors.

Contributions can be mailed to: Imagination Factory Community Center, P.O. Box 906, Iron Mountain, MI 49801.

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Terri Castelaz can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85241, or tcastelaz@ironmountaindailynews.com.