By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Just days before Veterans Day, city leaders, veterans, and community members gathered in John Hunt Park to celebrate the groundbreaking of a major expansion to the U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum.
The new facility will add approximately 35,000 square feet — nearly the length of a football field — dramatically expanding the museum’s footprint and creating additional space to display historic military memorabilia dating back to the American Revolution.
During the ceremony, the Redstone-Huntsville Chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA)presented a $100,000 donation to help fund the $9.98 million expansion.
“This is a proud day for our city and, most importantly, for our veterans,” said Mayor Tommy Battle. “At the City of Huntsville, it is our great privilege to honor our veterans through this project, which gives us new space to remember and recognize the heroes of yesterday and today.”
The new structure will be located at 2060 Airport Road SW and will feature modernized facilities, including a pre-engineered metal building with insulated panels, new offices, a conference room, and restrooms. Limited renovations and repairs will also be made to the current building to integrate the expansion seamlessly. The project was designed by City Architect Jeffrey S. Alpha, A.I.A., with Chorba Contracting Corporation serving as the general contractor. Construction is expected to take 480 days.
District 4 Council Member Bill Kling, whose district includes the museum site, expressed pride in the city’s continued commitment to honoring those who served. “I am proud to live and work in a city that honors and recognizes our veterans,” Kling said. “Everyone in Huntsville should look at this museum as a point of pride.”
To ensure the expanded facility offers an engaging and educational experience, the museum has hired David Towry as a consultant to develop a strategic plan for chronological displays of its growing collection.
City officials say the expansion reflects Huntsville’s ongoing dedication to preserving military history and celebrating the service and sacrifice of veterans from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
For more information about the museum or to support the expansion, visit MemorialMuseum.org.