This fall, officials will break ground on the civil rights museum and the companion Museum of Mississippi History in hopes of having both ready in time to celebrate the state's bicentennial in 2017.
There's one catch — $30 million is needed to finish the inside of the buildings, which share a common area.
Under the law, the state has agreed to a 50-50 split between state and private funding for 50,000 square feet of exhibits for the museums. Archives officials estimated the acquisition and creation of the exhibits at $14-$16 million.
Kane Ditto, chairman of the archives board, said private fundraising is under way. "We're at $2.25 million, and we're just starting," he said.
Hank Holmes, executive director of the state Department of Archives and History, said when the 2014 legislative session comes, he plans to make his pitch to lawmakers for at least $30 million in bonds. "This will be a major celebration project for the 2017 bicentennial," he said.
