Strategic planning for museum advances

Project leaders for an African-American museum in Nashville are advancing to the next level of strategic planning, following an increase in community support and funds allocated to the project by Metro Council in approving Mayor Bill Purcell's 2004-2005 operating budget.

The African American History Foundation of Nashville board of directors voted unanimously at its quarterly meeting July 22 to continue strategic planning.

"It has been very gratifying to see the museum idea generate this amount of early support throughout the city," said Board Chairman Dr. T.B. Boyd III, also president and CEO of R.H. Boyd Publishing Corp.

"There is much work to do, of course, but this is an initiative that has emerged from the Nashville community. The response we have received so far makes us feel very confident to move to the next level in terms of our institutional planning and facility design."

Boyd said discussions are ongoing with state government officials concerning the proposed museum site at the intersection of Eighth Avenue North and Jefferson Street.

The State Building Commission would have to approve a commitment of the site, he said, which could come in the form of a long-term lease.

"We are confident that our agreement with the state will be accomplished by the time of the commission's committee meetings in August," Boyd said. "The state has been diligently working with the foundation, and we are grateful for this partnership."

Locally, Metro Council appropriated $40,000 toward museum planning activities in this year's budget, following Purcell's mention of support for the project in his annual "State of Metro Address."

Funds will be utilized in the coming months to hire professional museum planners and an architectural design team, according to Boyd. Project leaders are expecting to develop a series of community meetings to solicit public input as planning moves forward, he said.

"This new museum will be a significant asset to Nashville and our region, in many ways," Boyd said. "The benefits will be educational, cultural, and economic. The primary beneficiaries will be our schools and our local economy, and we are very excited about moving forward."