| 2002 |
FHWA Scenic Byways grant received to preserve historic documents, contract with museum consults for conceptual phase, and create sponsor/partnership materials for the Hurricane Audrey Memorial Museum |
| 2003 |
FHWA Scenic Byways grant received for design to fabrication consultant for the Hurricane Audrey Memorial Museum |
| June 2005 |
Contract with project coordinator for NHMSC project |
| August 2005 |
Request for proposals for exhibit design concepts |
| November 2005 |
Post Hurricane Katrina and Rita, the Creole Nature Trail Board of Commissioners agrees to broaden scope of project and renames facility the National Hurricane Museum and Science Center |
| December 2005 |
Review of exhibit design RFP’s and date set for top 5 (of 14 proposals submitted) companies to make oral presentations |
| February 2006 |
Southwest Louisiana Design Team (Riech + Petch) chosen to create Master Plan.
Submittal of $1.36 million grant request, through Federal Highway Administration National Scenic Byways program, for partial funding of architectural and exhibit schematic design. |
| February 2006 |
Creole Nature Trail All-American Road District (CNTAARD) meetings with congressional delegation, NOAA and FWS |
| February 2006 |
Submittal of $1,360,000 grant request, through FHWA Scenic Byways program, for partial funding of architectural preliminary design and programming phases. |
| April 2006 |
Meetings with mayors, police juries, Southwest Louisiana legislative delegation, Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and other stakeholders to get their buy-in and support |
| April 2006 |
SLDT begin work on feasibility study and site selection criteria |
| May 2006 |
Louisiana Senate Concurrent Resolution 49 to commend and express support for the creation of the National Hurricane Museum and Science Center in Southwest Louisiana. |
| June 2006 |
SLDT facilitation of design charrettes |
| June 2006 |
Work with Congressman Boustany, Senator Vitter and Senator Landrieu on obtaining congressional resolution to commend and express support for the creation of the National Hurricane Museum and Science Center in Southwest Louisiana…and on future appropriations. |
| July 2006 |
Creation of nonprofit, 501C-3 status for National Hurricane Museum & Science Center, Inc. (NHMSC, Inc.) |
| August 2006 |
SLDT final market feasibility report, site selection weighting and exhibit concepts. |
| September 2006 |
Announcement of project plans, market feasibility and Congressional Resolution to media and public in Washington, D.C, Baton Rouge and Lake Charles. |
| September 2006 |
The Office of Natural and Human Environment (Federal Highway Administration) announced that Acting Secretary Maria Cino (Federal Highway Administration) had awarded $25.5 million in National Scenic Byways Program grants to 309 projects in 45 States. One of the projects that was awarded was the $1.3 million request for the National Hurricane Museum and Science Center, Phase III. This grant, which is an 80% Federal, 20% local match funding, represents the largest request ever made in the history of Louisiana Scenic Byways. |
| January 2007 |
SLDT finalized site criteria for location of NHMSC. |
| February 2007 |
Issued RFP for documentary production to record survivors and rescuers from hurricanes Audrey, Rita and Katrina. |
| April 2007 |
Contracted with Fresh Media, LLC to produce documentary raw footage in high-def format to be used for promotional content for the center and fund raising purposes. Footage includes testimonials from survivors of Hurricanes Audrey (1957), Katrina (2005) and Rita (2005). |
| May 2007 |
Hosted (two) public review and input meetings of top four sites for NHMSC. |
| Summer 2007 |
Met with property owners of top four sites for NHMSC to determine feasibility and cost of doing business. |
| September 2007 |
Received documentary work from Fresh Media, LLC. Click here to view |
| December 2007 |
Chose sites for NHMSC – Lake Charles downtown lakefront area and Cameron Courthouse Square. The first site to be the larger “edu-tainment” concept and the Cameron Courthouse Square to be memorial/museum site on what the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road will call their “String of Pearls.” |
| December 2007 |
Sent final draft of RFQ for NHMSC schematic design ($1.36 million grant) to Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development for approval. |
| June 2008 |
RFQ for NHMSC schematic design ($1.36 million grant) made available, through Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development, for proposals from architectural firms and exhibit designers. |
| August 2008 |
Hired Chora Creative, LLC as professional fund raising and board development organization. Conducted workshops with CNTAARD. |
| October 2008 |
SmithGroup, Inc. and Eisterhold Associates, LLC were chosen as the building and exhibit schematic design team. In addition to the design work, the team will produce focus group research and a branding package for the project. |
| November 2008 |
Schematic design work began; will continue through 2010. |
| Jan-Mar 2009 |
Focus group research conducted in Houston, Atlanta, mobile, Chicago and New York city with “museum goers” and “elementary/secondary educators.” |
| April 2009 |
NHMSC concept reviewed with Dr. William “Bill” Read, Director of the National Hurricane Center in Florida, while NHMSC project coordinators attended National Hurricane Conference held in Austin, Tx.
Initial plan and timeline for fund and board development reviewed by project coordinator and Chora Creative.
Work began on NHMSC Business Plan and board development. |
| Next Steps |
- RFQ’s to be submitted for a. website redevelopment and b. business plan research.
- NHMSC Business Plan to be completed
- NHMSC Board to be fully seated
- Plans for Cameron Memorial project finalized as Phase I; funding for Phase I to be implemented
- Cameron Memorial to be completed, while fund raising continues for Phase II - larger project
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