The President of the Board of Directors of the Children's Museum of Cheyenne says  the group will soon be announcing who has been selected to be the architect and exhibit designer for the project.

Amy Surdam says she was surprised by the quality of those applying for both positions when the board asked for applicants several months back. She says applicants in both categories included nationally recognized, award winning firms.

The board narrowed the original field of applicants to three finalists in each category. The finalists each were interviewed by the board, which chose from among the finalists for an architect and an exhibit designer.

Surdam says the firms chosen can't be formally announced until after the contracts are signed, which she expects to happen in the next few days. She says next month museum planners will hold a "brainstorming" session to develop a general vision for the museum as well as some possible ideas for exhibits.

She says after that the board will also hold meetings to ask for input from stakeholder groups as well as the general public to get their ideas. The museum board is hoping to open the museum in 2017.

The group has already purchased property in the area of West Lincolnway commonly known as "the hole" for the museum.

The property was once home to a business which burned down over a decade ago, and the property, widely considered an eyesore, has been vacant ever since.

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