Gearing up for the Eisenhower Memorial in D C

Several years ago - the Eisenhower Memorial Commission was established in 1999 to develop a memorial for the 34th President.

Eisenhower was a West Point graduate who became a five-star Army general. He commanded the Allied forces in Europe, led the D-day invasion in June 1944 and later was commander of NATO.

His Presidency spanned from 1953 to 1961. The Eisenhower Presidency is not as well publicized.

Eisenhower led the creation of the interstate highway system; passage of the first two Civil Rights Acts, in 1957 and 1960; the addition of two states, Alaska and Hawaii; adding 10 million Americans to the Social Security rolls; and the creation of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

The National Eisenhower Memorial at Eisenhower Square will be the first national Presidential memorial of the new century.

Eisenhower Square will be a permanent addition to the urban landscape of Washington, DC.

The four-acre site for the Eisenhower Memorial lies at the intersection of Maryland and Independence Avenues, SW, and spans two blocks, from 4th Street, SW to 6th Street, SW.

The construction project consists of a new "plaza-type" memorial. Part of the memorial will be a canopy (of a size to be determined during the design process.) There will only be a small (2,500 SF) support building(s).

The estimated construction cost range for this memorial project is $55 million - $65 million.

The construction completion is expected to occur in the last quarter of calendar year 2014.

The EMC website provides additional information at http://www.esenhowermemorial.org/.