Cambridge's Fashion History Museum gets much-needed extension to move collection

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 20, 2025 3:46 PM EDT | Last Updated: 15 minutes ago

The Fashion History Museum successful Cambridge present has 2 months to determination its postulation aft the metropolis granted them extended entree to the building.

In a quality merchandise Thursday, the City of Cambridge said, "the Fashion History Museum (FHM) contacted the metropolis of Cambridge connected Tuesday, March 18 astatine 1:19 p.m. to petition until May 19, 2025, to region items from the building."

"The metropolis has been flexible passim this process, and had already informed FHM unit that they volition person entree to the abstraction until May 19, arsenic primitively requested by the Chair of the Fashion History Museum," the merchandise continued. 

The depository was primitively asked to vacate the gathering by March 31 aft the metropolis ended its lease. The metropolis cited important unpaid rent totalling astir $140,000 since 2023 arsenic the crushed for the lease termination.

Kenn Norman, co-founder of the Fashion History Museum, told CBC News he's hopeful the extension should springiness them capable clip to determination the museum's collection.

"It's surely not slowed down our pace," helium said. "This was the clip that we needed successful bid to bash this successful an orderly fashion, and to beryllium liable for the postulation being safeguarded successful this modulation period." 

WATCH | Fashion History Museum packs up postulation aft City of Cambridge ends their lease:

Campaign's impact

The merchandise besides mentioned the "unnecessary campaign" the FHM launched connected the aforesaid time they requested for the extension. The merchandise said the run requested "members of the nationalist interaction metropolis unit and members of assembly to petition an hold to the 14-day timeline to vacate." 

"City unit were, and are, prepared to assistance the museum's petition for further clip done a support to participate agreement," the merchandise explained. 

"Public input was not necessary." 

Norman said the run whitethorn person had an interaction connected the city's decision.

"I ideate it was that run that changed the minds of council, oregon the City of Cambridge to widen the accidental for america to person the due clip to really bash this," helium said.

"We cognize that they've had a batch of responses from the public."

The merchandise said the metropolis has been "fair and tenable passim this process, and appreciates the request for further clip to vacate and marque alternate arrangements." 

With the hold granted, the depository present 2 months to safely determination its collection, and find a caller home.