The Michigan Science Center plans to formally announce its reopening date next week.

Through organizations like the Automotive Industry Action Group, it's inviting companies to attend a Dec. 4 press conference in hopes of garnering support from them.

The science center also plans to use next week's event to thank donors.

The organization told Crain's in September that it had raised a little more than $2.5 million toward its $5 million goal. The DTE Energy Foundation's $250,000 commitment was publicly announced in mid-October, following gifts from others including the Ford Foundation, General Motors Foundation, ITC Holdings Corp., Lear Corp., Alex and Marie Manoogian Foundation and Penske Corp.

Additionally, the science center's white knight — Ron Weiser, founder of McKinley Associates Inc. in Ann Arbor, national finance chairman for the Republican National Committee and former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party —indicated that he and his wife, Eileen Lappin Weiser, a member of the Michigan Board of Education, planned to make an additional gift to the center.

Weiser, a former U.S. ambassador to Slovakia, this summer acquired the science center's debt from Citizens Bank of Flint for "significantly less" than the roughly $6.2 million owed, saving its building and assets from being sold to the highest bidder at a public auction. He said at the time that he planned to sell the building and its contents back to the science center board for less than the amount he acquired it for, minus legal fees and closing costs.

As noted here on Halloween, the Michigan Science Center has been taking applications through its temporary website at michigansciencecenter.net for several key staff positions, including people to coordinate events and group sales, visitor service and sales and volunteers.

Since then, it has added other positions to the list, including educator and coordinators for outreach, public programs, grants and proposals and individual giving.

The science center already has rehired Todd Slisher, former COO and vice president of visitor services and programs at the Detroit Science Center. He's now director, visitor experience.

Visitors are expected at the center even before its official reopening.

The science center will take part in the annual Noel Night, hosted by Detroit's Midtown neighborhood, as reported in early November here, The event features open houses at more than 60 venues in Midtown between Cass and John R and Kirby and Willis, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Historical Museum and Detroit Public Library.

There also will be horse-drawn carriage rides; shopping; crafts; performances by more than 120 local music, theater and dance groups; and shuttle service between venues, all free.

The Michigan Science Center continues to boast many of the same attractions it did when it operated as the Detroit Science Center.

Among them: five theaters, including Michigan's largest screen at the Chrysler Imax Dome Theatre; Dassault Systemes Planetarium; Toyota Engineering Theater; DTE Energy Sparks Theater; Chrysler Science Stage; a 9,800-square-foot Science Hall for traveling exhibits; hands-on exhibit galleries focusing on space, life and physical science; Kidstown for pint-size scientists; and education and outreach programs.