March brings U.S. Marshals museum meetings

For those interested in direct contact with the effort to fund and build the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith, this is your week.

The museum board meets 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 10, in the west meeting room of the Harry E. Kelley Park. Polk Stanley and Cambridge 7 Associates, the two architect firms selected to design the museum will conduct a workshop on building design.

A public meeting is scheduled the same day between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the same meeting room.

“This is a great opportunity to learn first-hand of the exciting and creative processes that go into designing this national museum in Fort Smith. We also very much want your ideas and suggestions,” noted a letter from Sandi Sanders, project director for the museum.

A “Stakeholders Meeting” is planned for 9 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, March 11, in the west meeting room of the Harry E. Kelley Park. Officials with Polk Stanley and Cambridge 7 will be on hand to meet with community leaders about the potential design aspects of the museum.

In January 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service selected Fort Smith as the site for the national museum for the service. The preliminary cost for the museum is estimated between $30 million and $40 million. Sanders said museum advisors recommend a structure of no less than 50,000 square feet, with at least 21,000 square feet for exhibit space.

The museum has received $100,000 from the city of Fort Smith, $115,000 from Sebastian County, $200,000 from the state Legislature and $2 million from Gov. Mike Beebe.

(Link here for a review of the history and process.)