Debate continues on museum location

FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- Where to put a $15 million art museum in Fayetteville has become a controversy.

Organizers behind the plan say they have to go back to square one.

Monday night special task forces gave city leaders their opinion on where the new art museum should be.

Museum officials say their plans to build the new $12 to $15 million museum on Festival Park hasn't changed.

City council members accepted the results of a five month investigation that offered four alternative sites and questions whether museum officials can financially operate a new museum.

Despite what the report says or what city council members decide to do with the report, it is still up to museum officials to press on with their original plans and that seems to be what their director wants to do.

"Nothing has changed," Art Museum Director Tom Grubb said. "Hopefully now that this is behind us we can get down to the people's business of find out how the people of this community can have a museum in the downtown area."

One task force member says he feels with all the controversy and public sentiment, the museum's fund raising efforts may be hampered.

It may be more a question of time than money. If the project isn't underway in about three years, the deal is off.

Museum officials say its only seven months before new city elections and they say new council members could decide to honor the city's original agreement.

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local/state, greg barnes

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