Thomas Krens, one of the path breakers of the museum-as-economic-catalyst movement and a central figure in the creation of Mass MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts, is returning to the area to bolster its institutions with two new projects.

Here’s how the New York Times describes them:

The new contemporary art museum, which would be designed by the architect Richard Gluckman and is proposed for the grounds of the Harriman-West Airport near North Adams, would be funded by a group of international art collectors who would use it to show pieces from their collections. “They’re looking for solutions in between their houses and a full-blown art museum,” said Mr. Krens, who declined to name the collectors, saying the project remains a work in progress.

The model-railroading and architecture museum would built in Western Gateway Heritage State Park, an old rail yard. The museum, which Mr. Krens first considered developing in China, would feature one of the world’s largest working systems of O scale model trains, with perhaps 100 in operation at one time and a control room that “would look like something from NASA,” he said. He added that he believed such a museum could draw hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. The overall project has an estimate of $25 million to $30 million, and fund-raising and public approval is only now beginning, Mr. Krens said.

‘Cultural Corridor’ Proposed for Northern Berkshires (The New York Times)