Preliminary plan for Clara Luper Civil Rights Center advances; board accepts report and approves property purchase

The MAPS for Citizens Advisory Board received a preliminary report for the Clara Luper Civil Rights Center and approved a real estate acquisition to secure a parcel needed for the project.

Colin Fleck of Bacchus Pain (project architect) presented the preliminary site plan for a proposed Civil Rights Center at Martin Luther King Avenue between Northeast 24th and 25th streets. He said the primary structure would be sited to the south with parking and exterior storytelling to the north and that the design team conducted public outreach including a listening session at the Ralph Ellison Library, door‑to‑door outreach, neighborhood events and brochures.

Fleck described the program as organized into buckets: lobby/support, education/public programs (including maker and digital classrooms), exhibits and collections, rental and events (a dividable Freedom Hall and prefunction gallery), and a visitor/welcome center. He said the team planned for a future addition for larger exhibits, and that about $750,000 is budgeted for interior and exterior storytelling components in the initial phase. The presentation noted engagement with Gallagher and Associates as exhibit designer and identified potential exterior elements such as projection mapping on concrete panels.

After the presentation the board voted to receive the preliminary report (item 2i) and to approve a real estate acquisition agreement to buy a parcel from the Urban Renewal Authority for $225,704.89 (item 2j). David Todd told the board the parcel Colin had shown in the report is currently owned by the Urban Renewal Authority and the city must acquire it to proceed with the project.