Indian museum clears hurdle to issue bonds, resume building

Construction of the longawaited American Indian Cultural Center & Museum could resume as soon as this fall.

Fundraisers reported Thursday they had collected $10.8 million in private donations, enough to start the process outlined in a 2015 state law to complete and open the museum.

Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby, chairman of the Native American Cultural & Educational Authority, hailed the development as a “benchmark” in the decades-long effort to create the museum.

The museum authority unanimously approved a resolution to authorize acceptance of the donated funds and authorize Executive Director Blake Wade to take the necessary steps to deposit the money in a state “completion fund.”

Once that is done, the process of issuing state bonds can begin. The $10 million is the state’s first installment on its $25 million pledge of matching funds to complete the museum.

Plans are to raise $31 million from private and tribal sources, plus $9 million pledged by the

city of Oklahoma City, for a total of $40 million.

Anoatubby took a little more than two minutes to read the entire resolution aloud as board members and others sat silently at Thursday morning’s meeting, in the entrance hall of the partially completed museum.

When he was done reading, the board of directors voted, Anoatubby declared the resolution adopted, and those in the room applauded.

The process of issuing bonds is expected to take several months.

Title searches on land slated for development around the museum still must be completed, and a development agreement between the Chickasaw Nation and the city of Oklahoma City has yet to be finalized.

‘Milestone day’

The American Indian Cultural Center & Museum, with its signature mound and arch, is visible from the intersection of Interstates 35 and 40 near downtown Oklahoma City.

It is expected to draw visitors from around the nation and globe with world-class exhibits, artifacts and events.

Deposit of donated funds in the “completion account” will set in motion the process of issuance of state bonds, Oklahoma City attorney John Michael Williams told the board.

That is a process that would be expected to take four to five months, he said.

“I predict construction, if things go routinely, construction would start in October,” he said.

Completing the museum has been estimated to cost $65 million or more. Construction stopped about five years ago when state funding dried up.

The exterior of the 162,000-square-foot museum was mostly complete when work stopped, but the inside remained largely unfinished.

The board’s annual expenses include $876,000 to maintain the buildings, secure the site and preserve equipment warranties.

Central to the 2015 legislation is a plan to turn the museum over to the city of Oklahoma City.

As city leaders assessed the terms in late 2015, the Chickasaw Nation came forward with a proposal to partner with the city to complete and open the museum — and to develop the surrounding commercial property.

Work on agreements among the tribe, city and state consumed much of 2016, as fundraisers kept donors informed of progress.

A letter went out in October asking donors to begin writing checks, leading to the $10.8 million total reported Thursday and formal action to move ahead.

“This is a milestone resolution, a milestone day,” Williams said.