The Martin Luther King National Memorial Foundation announced that construction has passed the halfway point, and an August opening date has been set. One catch: $12 million still is needed to finish the work at the site on the National Mall.
About $108 million has been raised so far to honor the slain civil rights leader. The head of the MLK Foundation, Harry Johnson, said Wednesday that he is positive donations will reach the $120 million target.
“I don’t believe the Americans will let this memorial go unfinished,” Johnson said.
Construction workers will continue to work through the winter as they finish the memorial’s bookstore and engraved walls.
“We’re involved in the countdown process,” said Ed Jackson, executive architect of the MLK Foundation. “We’re not quite in the red zone, but we’re getting close.”
The memorial stretches over a four-acre plot of land on the Tidal Basin, and is centered between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials adjacent to the FDR Memorial.
| By the numbers |
| 3 – number of entrances onto memorial site |
| 32 – American elm trees planted |
| 159 – pieces of granite in Stone of Hope statue |
| 185 – cherry trees planted |
| 12 feet by 30 feet – approximate dimensions of Stone of Hope |
| $120 million – cost of the memorial |
| Source: MLK Memorial Foundation |
Visually, progress is apparent on the nearly 30-foot-high statue of MLK, called the Stone of Hope, which is erected facing the Jefferson Memorial. The Inscription Walls — with King’s quotes — and capstones are completely installed.
To get to the Stone of Hope, visitors coming in from the main entrance at West Basin Drive and Independence Avenue must walk through the granite Mountain of Despair, complete with two waterfalls.
“The design concept is spectacular and is based on a quote from King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech,” Jackson said. “We wanted this to be a living memorial.”
To accentuate the liveliness of the memorial’s cherry blossoms, elms and crepe myrtles will be added on the premises.
Johnson acknowledged that many people have dedicated their time and worked hard to bring the memorial to this point.
“We are proud of the fact we included union and nonunion workers to build Dr. King’s dream,” he said.
Construction of the memorial began last December. The memorial to the slain civil rights icon is scheduled to open on Aug. 28, the 48th anniversary of King’s famous March on Washington.
