The Museum Project would give the area's visitors a central location to direct them to the city's historic sites and museums. In addition, the attached museum would depict the city's history since the Revolutionary War and the area's colonial and Native American history.

"We are missing a city museum and orientation center for our visitors," Anne Emerson, director of the Boston Museum Project, tells GlobeSt.com. "We have a major need. Boston is a mecca of history." The building, adds Emerson, would be upwards of 200,000 sf, depending upon the permitting process.

The Bostonian Society, the Boston History Collaborative and the Freedom Trail Collaborative formed the Museum Project in December of 1998. The National Parks Service has since joined the group and is investing $30 million in the project. The Parks Service also plans on being the lead tenant in the venture, providing the Museum Project with a bankable lease to borrow against for some portion of the financing. Additional funds will be raised privately.