The poet Robert Browning said, “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” But when a public project and taxpayer money are on the line, leaders should be inspired by facts on the ground.

A business plan for a long-sought science center on the north side of the Spokane River has been submitted to the city of Spokane’s Park Board. This plan has trimmed flights of fancy from earlier versions and is grounded in conservative projections for fundraising, attendance and revenue.

The Park Board is set to consider the plan at a public hearing today at 1:30 p.m. If the plan is accepted, it will be the most significant development in landing a science center since the 1999 bond election, which paved the way for the purchase of 5.7 acres on the north bank of the river, just east of the Spokane Arena.

Voters expected that money to lead to a science center, and the Park Board should try to deliver.

In 2001, the Inland Northwest Science and Technology Center submitted the lone bid. The Park Board granted INSTC a lease that was contingent on a business plan. In the meantime, INSTC merged with the Children’s Museum of Spokane to form Mobius.

Although tardy, the Mobius business plan provides a detailed vision for a $33 million science center that can operate without taxpayer subsidies. Mobius studied 20 other science centers in regions with comparable population numbers, visiting four of them.

Taking cues from the successes and failures from those centers, the Mobius board altered the original proposal submitted by INSTC. For starters, they scrapped the “big fish” design and shrunk the size from 115,000 square feet to an estimated 51,000 to 73,000 square feet, depending on placement of a planned parking garage. A smaller center allows Mobius to trim construction and maintenance costs and may allow it to return land to the Parks Department.

A parking garage and 3-D IMAX theater are also planned. Science centers that have failed to incorporate parking or giant-screen theaters have regretted it. A new theater would be a great improvement over the one at the Pavilion – a legacy from Expo ‘74 – and it would provide vital revenue. The science center would also draw revenue by subletting adjacent space for commercial ventures.

The Mobius board has recommended two amendments to the lease that show that it is sensitive to realistic community concerns. First, construction cannot begin until 80 percent of the money needed, or $26.4 million, is secured. Second, the Park Board can sever the deal if fundraising goals are not met at specific intervals.

Mobius expects to raise at least $11.5 million from Spokane-area residents and businesses. The rest of the money would come from foundations, grants and the state and the federal governments. The children’s museum, Mobius Kids, already has two successful capital campaigns on its résumé. Plus, the museum itself has exceeded expectations.

A state-of-the art science center would be a dazzling attraction that would stretch the wonders of Riverfront Park to both sides of the river and stoke the curiosity of young people for generations to come. It’s a perfect fit for the Inland Northwest.

The Park Board should accept Mobius’ proposal because it is realistic and thoughtful. Plus, the plan allows for an escape hatch – just in case its reach exceeds its grasp.