LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial will be built this spring after more than 20 years of planning.
On Tuesday the Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission voted to approve the memorial. Groundbreaking is set for 2 p.m. March 23 at the state Capitol.
Secretary of state spokesman Alex Reed said construction will not begin until after the 2013 legislative session recesses in April, because of parking problems, the number of visitors on Capitol grounds and possible weather-related problems.
The memorial is scheduled to be dedicated in October.
In January 2012, supporters of the proposed memorial announced they had raised enough money to construct it and were waiting on the final OK from the commission, which had to be repopulated.
The terms of four commissioners had expired while Charlie Daniels was secretary of state. The commission meets infrequently and the vacancies went unnoticed after Secretary of State Mark Martin took office in January 2011.
Firefighters’ widows and supporters of the memorial petitioned Martin over the past six months to repopulate the commission so it can vote on the memorial. Martin filled two of the vacancies in December and twoin January.
Johnny Reep, chairman of the Arkansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial, called the unanimous vote “very emotional” for supporters.
“Today the Arts and Grounds Commission laid the cornerstone of our dream. It was a great day,” he said.
Designs for the 50-by-70-foot memorial plaza include a fountain and a statue, a memorial wall, an amphitheater that can seat 110 people and two walkways.
There are 14 monuments on the grounds of the Arkansas Capitol, including one for Confederate women, one for Vietnam veterans and another for war prisoners.
The most recent monument, dedicated to the Little Rock Nine, was dedicated in 2005.
Arkansas, Pages 12 on 02/13/2013