Viewing page 113 of 166

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

-91-

[[underlined]]Renovation of the Arts and Industries Building and Relocation of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars[[/underlined]]

Mr. Adams introduced the following report by reminding the Regents that last year at approximately this time the House-Senate conference committee on interior appropriations suggested that the Board of Trustess of the Woodrow Wilson Center and the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian explore the question of the involvement of the Wilson Center in the operations of the Institution's new International Center.  The Secretary reported that, after the exchange of several preliminary draft statements, both he and the Director of the Wilson Center thought they had arrived at a sensible delineation of the primary spheres of activities of the respective organizations.

After the Secretary distributed copies of the draft statement (copied below) and after further discussion, it was the sense of the meeting that both the statement and the proposal to relocation the Wilson Center to the Arts and Industries building could be considered approved from the Regents' point of view.

* * * * * *

The Smithsonian has had an objective to identify long-term occupancy/use of the interior space of the Arts and Industries (A&I) Building and to proceed with a major interior renovation and restoration appropriate to its standing as a National Historic Landmark.  The building is among the oldest of Smithsonian facilities, having been opened in 1881, and presently has some 141,000 square feet of assignable space.

In celebration of the nation's bicentennial in 1976, a new exhibition was installed in the four major halls and the rotunda, and supporting building improvements were made for those spaces.  Now in