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The Motown Museum’s expansion is now anticipated to be complete in summer 2026, the museum shared at a press event Monday morning.

The third and final phase of the expansion project, which was first announced about eight years ago, has commenced after the museum raised $70 million of its $75 million goal.

Brinker Group, the construction firm tasked with the buildout, plans to complete the structure’s steel frame by early spring 2025 and exhibits by February 2026, before finalizing the project that summer, according to Larry Brinker Jr., Brinker Group CEO.

The new building is planned to feature a high-ceilinged lobby with large portraits of Motown legends like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and Diana Ross, as seen in renderings provided by architecture firm Perkins & Will.

“Visitors from around the world will step in to begin this new Motown Museum experience,” said Robin Terry, the museum’s chairwoman and CEO. “There’s music, and you’re just enveloped in these giants who have created a music legacy that we all still celebrate.”

She added, “All of this happens right here on the dirt that you see today,” motioning to the empty lot on the museum’s southeast side, behind the museum’s Hitsville Now building where the press conference took place. The 40,000 square foot structure is to tower over the Hitsville USA building and adjacent properties along West Grand Boulevard. Two parking lots and a courtyard between the buildings are also planned in the area.

In its final form, the expansion is planned to feature new exhibits, a performance theater (The Ford Motor Company Theatre), recording studios, retail areas, and spaces for guests to meet. A café called Miss Lillie’s is also planned,��named in honor of Lillian “Lillie” Hart, the cook who helmed the Hitsville kitchen.

“She prepared hot dogs and her famous chili for all the acts,” Terry says. “We had to honor Miss Lillie, because this museum is going to be about the voices of those who actually created this history.”

Terry acknowledged delays in the process, which she said was impacted by COVID-19-related supply chain issues, and an increase in construction and material costs. The current $75 million goal increased $10 million from the museum’s previous goal of $65 million (in January 2023), which before that, was $55 million.

The sentiment was echoed by Perkins & Will architect Zena Howard. In addition to the expansion, Howard has overseen Washington D.C.’s�� National Museum of African American History and Culture; and the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“The very first thing that I learned was that Motown was about family and love, and that was the cause,” Howard said. “They shared so much emotion that is amplified in the music. So, I’m really honored to be part of this project.”

The first two phases of the expansion, Hitsville NEXT, an “educational programming and creative hub” and Rocket Plaza, the paved outdoor space in front of the museum, have been since 2022.