Resident Calls Civil Rights Museum “Black Eye for City”
Posted by ryan on February 18, 2008
From today’s Letters to the Editor section from the News & Record,
“Ten years ago as a new Greensboro resident, I was excited to learn that the Woolworth building was being restored as a museum. Over the past 10 years, I’ve watched the revitalization of the downtown area including a new ballpark, the Center City Park, the Children’s Museum and a new downtown library. And yet, the Woolworth building still sits, unfinished. It’s not only sad, it’s a real black eye for this city.
I agree with a recent writer who suggested that we make this a bicentennial project and finally get it done.
As we celebrate Greensboro’s proud heritage, we can no longer ignore this very important part of our history.
Nancy Probst
Greensboro”
Bill Knight said
The Civil Rights Museum is part of Greensboro’s past and deserves a place in its history. Public funding is not a prerequisite to its completion; museum leadership has the responsbility for finding the money and completing the long delayed project. It’s hard to imagine what the holdup has been for so long.
Museum backers – the mayor included – claim the museum will invigorate the downtown economy and increase hotel business and air traffic into Greensboro. Given that fact it should be no problem to raise the necessary money needed for completion from private sources. A textile heritage museum may be in the works for Greensboro; it too will face similar challenges in attracting funding and ongoing interest. The CRM should not delay further lest it fall into a competition for private dollars.
As an aside, have museum backers looked at the possiblity of selling off or leasing upstairs space for retail or residential development? Just an idea.
Beau Jackson said
If I recall correctly over the years good money after bad has been allocated to this project with little results, nor accountability of resources spent. I suspect that was the main reason the bond issue was soundly voted down. However, it’s come to my attention that some of the players who would profit by the continance of this project have found some “back door” funding with tax payers dollars.
Tuna said
I think monetary black hole is a more accurate description.
ryan said
Bill, I thought they were using the 3rd floor as part of the museum but I could be wrong.
Beau, at this point I can’t say if money was misused or not. I can say that the money simply may have not been used at all due to the decision made by the museums board to stop all construction until all dollars are raised. That decision alone has likely cost the museum millions of dollars in donations.
The public needs to see progress and until that happens their hearts and dollars will be clouded with doubt.
Ryan