OCEANSIDE -- After four years of planning and fundraising, Oceanside Museum of Art officials said Tuesday that they expect to begin construction this fall on a major expansion that will give them more space to display art and provide programs for North County residents.

Skip Pahl, the museum's executive director, said staff will begin reviewing bids July 27 for the two-story building that will be connected to the existing facility, next to the Civic Center in downtown.

He said the building, which will take about 14 months to construct, will increase the number of art galleries from one to three and add much needed storage and meeting space.

"This is going to be a cultural jewel for all residents of North County," Pahl said. "This is really going to generate a lot of civic pride."

Pahl said the museum, a private nonprofit organization with a $500,000 annual budget, set out several years ago to raise $5.35 million for a two-phase expansion that will increase its facilities from 5,000 square feet to 32,000 square feet.

With a $1 million grant from the city last year and numerous private donations, the museum is only about $70,000 short of meeting its goal, Pahl said.

He said the museum has already raised enough money for the 16,000-square-foot building, designed by the Los Angeles-based firm of Frederick Fisher, but he declined to discuss how much the building will cost until construction bids are reviewed.

The second phase of the project calls for an auditorium and several classrooms on the property where Fire Station One sits. The city plans to move the station in the coming years to allow the museum to expand.

Pahl said the City Council and staff members have been very supportive of the expansion, and that the new facility will attract more than just city residents.

"This is a regional museum with a regional audience and focus," said Pahl.

Pahl said that about 52,000 people a year visit the museum or participate in its programs, about 40 percent of whom come from outside of North County.

Many of these visitors stay in Oceanside to shop or eat, and the museum helps attract customers for businesses, according to museum supporters.

"The museum is a catalyst that brings people to Oceanside," said Carolyn Mickelson, a museum trustee. "The expansion will be wonderful because it will allow us to offer so much more to visitors."

The new building will allow the museum to expand its gift shop, create a lobby for visitors and display more exhibits.

The museum only has one gallery in its 5,000-square-foot facility on Pier View Way. The gallery is closed to the public for a total of 15 weeks each year while staffers take down and set up art exhibits.

With the new facility, the museum will always have at least two exhibits open, and most of the time there will be three. There will be two galleries for rotating exhibits and a gallery with a permanent collection of work focused on art from the San Diego region.

The museum currently has no permanent collection because of space shortages, museum officials said.

"We have not begun a serious effort to collect art because we know we don't have space," Pahl said. "Now, with the additional galleries and storage facility, we'll be able to begin a collection."

Pahl said the museum will continue to seek donations to pay for the expansion, and the organization's largest annual fundraiser, the Museum Ball, is on Saturday night.

The black-tie affair at the Civic Center plaza features a silent auction, French dinner and a live band. Tickets are no longer available.

"This is one of the biggest social events in North County," said Pahl.

He said the museum also plans to host "quite an event" for the building's groundbreaking, but he said a date won't be set until after the bids have been reviewed. The museum has received four bids already, and plans to spend a couple of weeks considering the different options, Pahl said.

Several museum supporters said Tuesday they couldn't wait for work to begin. Rick Mohrlock, chairman the annual Oceanside Days of Art festival, said the museum has "helped put Oceanside on the map."

"The museum means a lot for Oceanside and the entire region," Mohrlock said. "With the expansion, it will be a pretty major museum and should attract people from throughout San Diego County."

- Contact staff writer David Sterrett at (760) 901-4067 or dsterrett@nctimes.com.