Just days before a scheduled groundbreaking on the riverfront near downtown Fort Smith, the U.S. Marshals Museum announced Thursday (Sept. 18) a pledge of $5 million from an anonymous donor.
According to a press release from the museum, the gift is scheduled for payout before the end of 2016.
“We’re overwhelmed with gratitude for this $5 million gift,” said Jim Dunn, president and CEO of the museum. “It represents the largest pledge we’ve received to date, and it provides us a great deal of momentum in our fundraising efforts.”
The museum is projected to cost about $50 million to construct, with funding coming from a variety of sources including private funding, state funds, and new market tax credits.
The groundbreaking ceremony is set for Sept. 24, with phase one of construction to commence at that time.
Three different phases of construction will be needed before the museum can be completed and opened to the public, which is expected to be 2017.
In March, Dunn said the museum had "raised a total of just over $14 million," adding that the museum has between $9 million and $9.5 million "in cash or pledges receivable."