The Rio Nuevo scandal in Tucson is becoming infamous for government waste and corruption. The FBI is currently investigating how $230 million of state funds vanished with little progress.
The AHS was a part of the Rio Nuevo debacle. They spent $1.4 million to design a new history museum that is so expensive it will probably never be built. Eventual construction is especially unlikely since the AHS failed to raise any funds.
The AHS contractors for Rio Nuevo were Mortenson Construction of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Gallagher & Associates of Bethesda, Md.. Those are the same sole source contractors AHS selected (via the Centennial 2012 Foundation) for their 5C Arizona Centennial Museum in Phoenix.
With just a few months to go before the centennial, no construction work has been done on the centennial museum and the fundraising effort has failed. Once again, money spent on expensive plans will produce nothing.
Once again, history is repeating itself.
Reference:
Fentress Architects to Design New Arizona Museum
Fentress Architects to Design New Arizona Museum
The Daily Journal
12/24/08
Gallagher Exhibits is a favorite of AHS. First Rio Nuevo,now Phoenix. Watch out they are not using the same designs for Phoenix that they were going to use for Rio Nuevo!
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that the "east coast" exhibit designers are better than anyone else? They also love to build exhibits that have few objects. They treat the object as an art object and not to tell a story. I suggest everybody go to their website. I did.
What does the Gallagher Co have that Woosley wants? Probably money. The AHS seems to have a problem with that. Weber, Kyle...Same old story.
Doesn't the State of Arizona/Arizona Historical Society have a policy about income beyond the normal salsry? An employee has to report any job other than the one they hold from the state. ie part time jobs, contracts, book deals etc etc. Would any kind of payment fro an exhibits company fit into that situation? Does the Board of Directors of the Arizona Historical Society enforce that ruling....Just asking.
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