In 2003, the non-profit Coral Gables Museum Corp. was formed to direct and operate the museum in partnership with the City of Coral Gables. The City's Historical Resources Department applied for and received over $1.5 million in state and county grants to rehabilitate the building. In 2005, the Museum Corp. began to raise additional funds, and through the grant funding, the architectural firm of Jorge L. Hernandez was hired for the project. Eventually, the Museum Corp. determined that additional space would be necessary to make the museum a viable institution. The City agreed, and a new and separate gallery space was designed, in addition to a beautiful 5000 square foot public plaza, both of which will be located in the surface parking lot currently behind the Old Police and Fire Station.