Military museum might break campDowntown Charleston attraction negotiating North Charleston relocation By Warren Wise (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Downtown Charleston attraction negotiating North Charleston relocation 
Tyrone Walker Michael Lussier is volunteer curator of The American Museum in downtown Charleston. 
STAFF Where it is nowWHAT: The American Military Museum WHERE: 360 Concord St., in the IMAX complex. WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. HOW MUCH: Admission: $7 for adults; $5, seniors and veterans; $3, college and high school students; $2 for children 6-12. Free for active-duty military, their families and children under 6. For more info call 577-7000. 
Tyrone Walker Wes Dzierlatka of Plainville, Conn. looks at a uniform display Monday at The American Museum in downtown Charleston. Another museum could soon be added to North Charleston. City officials are in discussions with the American Military Museum in downtown Charleston to relocate the crowded facility to a site beside North Charleston's recently completed American LaFrance Fire Museum and Educational Center near the coliseum. No agreements have been reached, but both sides say it is very likely to become a reality. North Charleston City Council's Finance Committee voted Aug. 16 to spend $43,700 to hire Lindberg and Associates architectural and engineering firm of North Charleston as a consultant to review the concept and create a feasibility and planning study. "If there was ever going to be a military museum in South Carolina, it should be in North Charleston," Mayor Keith Summey said, citing the presence of the Air Force base and the former Navy base in the city. Summey said the city could pay for the facility from revenues collected through a special tax district around the retail shops of Centre Pointe. Those revenues helped to build the $6.5 million fire museum. "We would own it if we build it," the mayor said. The 6,000 square feet of rented space below the IMAX Theatre in downtown Charleston is too small for the museum's ever-expanding collection of original memorabilia dating back to the Revolutionary War, American Military Museum Director George Meagher said. He said he and the mayor have discussed a facility of about 20,000 square feet. No cost has been given to build it, but the mayor said it would be considerably less than the fire museum. "We are overloaded," Meagher said. "We have tons of stuff we can't even display." Among the more notable items that can't be displayed are a World War II landing craft and a machine gun, he said. Summey thinks the museum would benefit from better displays. "It's not interactive," he said, adding that he would like to see displays similar to those at the fire museum that people can interact with rather having a lot of artifacts that people just look at. "Maybe we need to tell the story better," Meagher said. "There are no signs on some of the stuff telling what it is. Maybe we can do it better, but we will have the final word on the displays that we have." The museum has been in its current location on Concord Street for four years after moving around downtown Charleston for the past two decades. "We are looking for a great place to display the collection in the best possible way," said Rear Adm. David Shimp, museum chairman of the board. "I think it's a marriage made in heaven," Meagher said. "This is fantastic." Reach Warren Wise at 745-5850 or wwise@postand courier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 7 comment(s)
Posted by exorcist_pencocky on August 22, 2007 at 9:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like a great move just as long as the City of North Charleston doesn't divert funds better spent on Police and Fire.
Think about how much you have to pay per hour to park in the city of charleston. In the City of North Charleston you pay $0.00 to park and don't have to fight the traffic caused by the people working in the city of charleston.
Posted by icbmman on August 22, 2007 at 11:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is just another indicator of how Mayor Summey wants North Charleston to become the primary city of the region: "Welcome to the Metropolitan Area of North Charleston, home of the historic suburb of Charleston." Why doesn't anybody else, especially in the Chas city government, see this?
Posted by exorcist_pencocky on August 22, 2007 at 1:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Welcome to the Greater Downtown Metropolitan City of North Charleston, home of many historic suburbs including the city of charleston area to its south."
Yes you are right, it has a good advertising ring to it. Thanks.
Posted by OverHere on August 22, 2007 at 4:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You can never be legitimate if your name implies that you are a sub-part of a larger city e.g. "North" Charleston. They should really think about renaming the city - let the people vote on it. I think it would do wonders for the city's identity and commerce.
Posted by jammer on August 22, 2007 at 7:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I've got to say like him or not ole Mayor Summey has definitely done a lot of really good things in N.Chucktown
I clearly remember when N.Chas. was mostly what resembled a slum with the exception of just a few areas
I lived in it several times over the yrs, as well as all over the tricounty and no one used to want to go to NChas except to go to the mall after it was built... or to look for ravenel candy or oregano in george leagre <sp>... lol
kudo's N.Chas. for bringing the place up
Posted by charleston on August 23, 2007 at 2:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OverHere, I absolutely agree with you. Many people -even some locals -do not realize North Charleston is its own municipality. A name change would be highly advantageous. I get a kick out of how good news events that happen in the city of North Charleston will be generalized to the 'Charleston area' and how bad news events occurring in the city of Charleston's neck area will get characterized as that 'North area' implying a problem systematic of only North Charleston.
Posted by exorcist_pencocky on August 23, 2007 at 9:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It is surprising what a determined, local, small minded, city of charleston centric news media can do.
If you were to actively denigrate a large region of an area, make people believe its not safe to be or live there, you could drive down the value of property there. Since people would then be led to seek housing in other areas of the region you could artificially drive up property value there.
Now think of the tens of thousands of City of North Charleston residents who have led quiet, peaceful lives in homes just like "yours"(except affordable), excellent Fire and Police protection just like "yours"(except affordable),
violent crime exists in their city, just like "yours".
Are the high costs of housing, insurance and "taxes" getting you down, well take comfort in the thought "at least I don't live in the City of North Charleston" and remember 30+ years have been spent instilling that thought into your mind.