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Fredericksburg: Don’t build the slavery museum here

Posted at 2:02 PM, May 31, 2012
and last updated 2012-05-31 14:02:18-04

FREDERICKSBURG, VA (WTVR) - Even if the proposed national slavery museum can manage to dig itself out of more than $7 million in debt, it won't be built on the plot of land they initially intended--at least if the city of Fredericksburg has its way.

Late last week the city filed an objection to the museum's reorganization plan in U.S. bankruptcy court. In the documents, the city's lawyers call plan "unrealistic."

The city's lawyers say they believe the museum has over estimated how much they'll be able to raise in their plan.

"The Debtor's optimistic estimates also do not take into account the changed circumstances of the past several yearsm" it reads. "The United States economy remains fragile and the public's willingness to contribute to such an endeavor in Fredericksburg remains uncertain."

The city of Fredericksburg is just one of the entities the museum owes money to. Each of the slavery museum's creditors are expected to cast a vote in whether or not they approve of the plan before the judge makes a decision, but it's unclear how much they'll be able to influence the decision.

The museum, which is the project of former Governor and Richmond Mayor Doug Wilder, was supposed to be built on a plot of land along Interstate 95 in Fredericksburg.

A confirmation hearing on the proposal is scheduled for June 27.