(Tacoma, WA) – The LeMay Museum is delighted to announce that it has completed design development and significantly reduced the projected cost of the Museum campus from $125,000,000 to $99,000,000. The design refinements, presented to the Board and Steering Committee at their September meeting by lead architect Alan Grant, will dramatically reduce costs without limiting program possibilities.
The plans were approved by the Board which also authorized Grant Architects to begin the Construction Documentation phase of the project—the last critical step before construction. According to Chief Executive Officer, David Madeira, the Board approvals were based on the continued progress of the Museum’s fundraising efforts. “The Drive For America’s Car Museum” campaign has garnered $47,000,000 in commitments since the drive was launched in 2004. The Museum remains on course to break ground in late 2007 or early 2008 and to open to the public in late 2009 or early 2010.
The drive for $139,000,000 is an effort to acquire the land, build the campus, raise operating support for this period of development, and begin an endowment to support the Museum in the future. In just over two years, the effort has attained 47 percent of its first phase goal and 34 percent of its total campaign. Madeira credited the cost reductions to the excellent efforts of Grant Architects and the team of consultants engaged to develop the design. He also noted that the design team completed its work two months ahead of schedule.