Denver is one of two cities in line to be the home to a new museum centered on the history and celebration of the National Medal of Honor.
That medal is the nation’s highest and most prestigious honor bestowed upon soldiers in combat situations.
The project would be undertaken by the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, which expects to make an announcement in early October regarding where the museum will be located.
If the foundation selects Denver, the museum, which will also include an education center, will almost certainly go up at the busy corner of Lincoln Street and East Colfax Avenue, across the street from the Colorado State Capitol.
The new facility is expected to cost at least $150 million to build, with funding coming from a combination of private donations, as well as both the State of Colorado and the City of Denver.
It is thought that it could take up to four and a half years to complete the project.
Part of the site that foundation officials have been looking at includes a 20,000 square foot parcel owned by the Regional Transportation District. That property would be used as a gateway park to the museum itself.
The other city being considered for the museum is Arlington, Texas. City officials there have touted a site running adjacent to the Globe Life Field ballpark, currently under construction, as a likely spot for the facility.
Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama are serving as honorary directors of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation.
More than 3,500 Medals of Honor have been awarded, going back to the beginning of the Civil War, with the medal itself usually awarded by the President.
By Garry Boulard
