PORT ARTHUR, Texas — The Museum of the Gulf Coast was given a $1 million donation at a Symphony of Southeast Texas concert on Tuesday night.
The donation from Motiva will help the museum expand by funding a new wing which will teach kids and adults the ins-and-outs of the petrochemical industry.
The facility will teach the community about the industry that is the foundation of the Southeast Texas area.
The seven-figure donation was a surprise to those who run the museum.
"It was out of the blue," said Director Tom Neal. "We're gonna tell the story about polymers, petros that we use in plastics that you enjoy every day and also an event center so we can have a larger meeting area."
Now thanks to Motiva, the museum's expansion is a lot closer to becoming a reality.
"It's giving us a great shot in the arm so that we can begin this project," Neal said.
The addition, which will offer an extensive dive into petrochemical industry's past as well as its future, will offer more room for guests, more displays and more educational opportunities.
Renderings of new petrochemical expansion at Museum of the Gulf Coast
It will be spearheaded by 95-year-old composite material pioneer, inventor and creator Andrew Green.
"He's the guy that invented and began creating all this hardening of plastic working for general dynamics when he was a young man," said Neal. "We want kids to come here as they go through school. If they become interested in doing something like this, they'll have a guy. They'll have somebody they can look to."
Motiva is happy to contribute to educating the next generation of engineers and operators.
"When we saw the good opportunity we just went in there and took it," said Motive Executive Vice President Jeff Newman. "It's important for us to get the accurate story out there for the public so that people can make good informed decisions about career choices that are there."
The new wing will be a one of a kind in the area.
"This particular exhibit it will be unknown to anything that you can ever find. Nothing will be like it," Neal said.
The project is "shovel-ready", according to Neal. The million dollar donation goes a long way to the estimated $3.8 million price tag.