New York is home to a number of famous museums, but a group wants to establish the first one in the U.S. “dedicated to electric vehicles, autonomous driving technology and [the] future of the automobile.”
The New York Auto Museum initiative aims to open a 200,000 square foot (18,581 square meter) facility in the heart of Manhattan that is envisioned to serve over two million visitors annually. It’s being pitched as a “museum and entertainment complex,” which would showcase the “past, present and future of the automobile.”
As part of this effort, the museum is slated to have educational exhibits, “technological innovations,” and exclusive car collections. They’re slated to be joined by a restaurant, shops, social gathering spaces, and an outdoor area. Supporters also envision having the “capacity to host original programmed events and gatherings.”
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The museum has a number of high-profile members on its board including Ray Battaglini, who founded the National Corvette Museum. Otto F. Wachs serves as chairman and he brings plenty of experience to the role as he was previously the CEO of the Autostadt in Wolfsburg, Germany.
Wachs remarked, “New York is the ideal place to open an impressive and informative Auto Museum to tell the extraordinary history of the automobile’s contribution to global mobility and personal freedom and its significance in a dramatically evolving world.” He added, “It is a great honor to support this magnificent venture to create an automotive super-destination.”
While it remains to be seen when, or if, the museum will open, the board is currently seeking a “landlord partner” and has retained real estate services firm JLL for this effort. JLL New York chairman Peter Riguardi said the idea is “already generating interest from several property owners” and the “venture promises to further elevate the city’s standing as a premier venue for spectacles that inspire and delight visitors and residents alike.”