By Gregory Childress

gchildress@heraldsun.com; 918-1046

CHAPEL HILL --A critic of the town's plan to lease the upper level of the Wallace Parking Plaza to Kidzu Children's Museum has dropped his opposition to the proposal, which would give the museum room to grow.

Erik Ose, president and co-organizer of Friends of Chapel Hill, submitted a petition in September stating his group's opposition to the plan.

The group feared the town would be giving up a valued public space, which is home to the only downtown park.

But on Monday, Ose said the group changed its mind after meeting with the museum's leadership and being assured that the space would remain available for residents to use.

"Right now we think the town can share the space with Kidzu as long as the agreement preserves open space and opens the new facility to the community," Ose said in an interview. "Those are Chapel Hill values."

The group's change of heart drew a round of congratulations from council members.

"I think that's spectacular everyone was able to work that out," said Council member Matt Czajkowski.

Kidzu, which currently occupies a 2,700-square-foot facility at 105 Franklin St., wants to build a much larger museum on the west end of the parking deck that would be 15,000 to 20,000 square feet.

The town's staff was instructed to schedule a council work session during which the council would review the museum's proposal and hammer out the final details of the lease agreement and review the museum's plans.