Cemetery Ridge, Little Roundtop, and the fields of Pickett's charge - all considered hallowed ground by Civil War buffs - may soon get a $43 million face-lift thanks to a unique public-private partnership unveiled Friday.
The National Park Service announced plans to bring Gettysburg National Military Park into the next century by contracting a private developer to build a new tourist center, a book store, retail shops, restaurants and a theater.The new complex would replace the cramped, haphazard facility that park officials say provides "below atrocious" conditions for the site's historic artifacts and poorly handles the 2 million tourists who tour the battlefield annually.
The proposed joint venture still requires the approval of the director of the park service and will undergo several months of public review. Three public meetings are planned, the first later this month.
The developer, Robert Kinsley of York, Pa., said the new complex would be built over the next four to five years and replace the current visitor center. Kinsley said he hopes to raise $30 million in grants and donations and to borrow the remainder.
A nonprofit foundation would oversee the construction and operation of the new facility. The land and buildings would be given to the park service after the developer's investment was recovered.
The site is within walking distance of Cemetery Ridge but behind the lines where Union forces drove back the Confederate army in July, 1863 - one of the Civil War's most pivotal battlefields.
A previous public-private partnership plan announced in April 1995 was withdrawn after fierce criticism. Several preservationist groups, however, expressed support Friday for the new plan, reserving full backing until the details are given public review.
"The question is whether it can be built in such a way so as to not intrude upon, but rather to enhance the visitor experience while maintaining the integrity of the battlefield itself," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.