thedrifter
10-19-06, 07:55 AM
Temporary museum home on table
October 18,2006
KELLEY CHAMBERS
DAILY NEWS STAFF
They're calling it a "mini-museum" that could improve Jacksonville's downtown image as well as drum up tourism if it becomes a reality.
At its regular meeting Tuesday night, Jacksonville City Council agreed in 4-1 vote to meet with the Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas' board of directors in response to their request to use a city building as an annex for the museum's collection while the larger one is constructed. Councilman Horace Mann was absent from the meeting.
James Williams, executive director for the museum, hopes the City Council will ultimately adhere to his plans of renovating an old building off Court Street, which is in somewhat dire conditions.
This offshoot will allow the museum to display collections during their fund-raising efforts. The larger museum is targeted for a piece of land along the U.S. 17 bypass behind the Beirut Memorial in Jacksonville and adjacent to the site of the future Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
"We want to avoid losing sight of the reason we exist and that reason is to have and manage a collection," said Williams, who is in just his second month as director. "This will give us the opportunity to get a head start on this."
The city agreed to provide the museum with $1 million over a 10-year period beginning in 2002 to be used toward construction. If the renovation project is approved, a portion of these funds will be allocated toward the annex instead of the museum.
Councilman Sammy Phillips voted against the motion, saying it wasn't because he doesn't support the museum but that he doesn't want the city to end up losing money on an old building. He also wonders if this is a location the county may target as it is searching for office space downtown.
"I just have a little heartburn with that," Phillips said. "That building is in really bad shape. I don't want to hamper (the museum's) efforts; I want to see it come to fruition. But we owe it to the taxpayers to make sure that money is spent wisely."
As of September, the museum had raised about $4.7 million of its $20 million goal. Museum officials say they hope to have the 40,000-square-foot complex open sometime in 2009.
October 18,2006
KELLEY CHAMBERS
DAILY NEWS STAFF
They're calling it a "mini-museum" that could improve Jacksonville's downtown image as well as drum up tourism if it becomes a reality.
At its regular meeting Tuesday night, Jacksonville City Council agreed in 4-1 vote to meet with the Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas' board of directors in response to their request to use a city building as an annex for the museum's collection while the larger one is constructed. Councilman Horace Mann was absent from the meeting.
James Williams, executive director for the museum, hopes the City Council will ultimately adhere to his plans of renovating an old building off Court Street, which is in somewhat dire conditions.
This offshoot will allow the museum to display collections during their fund-raising efforts. The larger museum is targeted for a piece of land along the U.S. 17 bypass behind the Beirut Memorial in Jacksonville and adjacent to the site of the future Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
"We want to avoid losing sight of the reason we exist and that reason is to have and manage a collection," said Williams, who is in just his second month as director. "This will give us the opportunity to get a head start on this."
The city agreed to provide the museum with $1 million over a 10-year period beginning in 2002 to be used toward construction. If the renovation project is approved, a portion of these funds will be allocated toward the annex instead of the museum.
Councilman Sammy Phillips voted against the motion, saying it wasn't because he doesn't support the museum but that he doesn't want the city to end up losing money on an old building. He also wonders if this is a location the county may target as it is searching for office space downtown.
"I just have a little heartburn with that," Phillips said. "That building is in really bad shape. I don't want to hamper (the museum's) efforts; I want to see it come to fruition. But we owe it to the taxpayers to make sure that money is spent wisely."
As of September, the museum had raised about $4.7 million of its $20 million goal. Museum officials say they hope to have the 40,000-square-foot complex open sometime in 2009.