There may be a lack of progress on a new five-site national monument in a Wilmington suburb, but there’s a lot of potential, and West Chester’s historic preservation and architecture business, John Milner Associates, is leading the effort to evaluate that potential and guide development concepts.

The firm, with offices in West Chester, has worked on projects ranging from a Washington Monument security assessment to archaeological investigations of the infamous 5-points district in Lower Manhattan.

“We want to find out all we can about the structure (it was built in 1858) and determine exactly how we want to use it before we go asking for money,” National Park Service Superintendent Russ Smith said in a WDDE report.

Much of the new First State National Monument is located in New Castle, Del., and Milner’s work will concentrate on the Sheriff’s House, which is to be the monument’s headquarters but could require $1 million or more for renovations and repairs.

“The lack of progress is disappointing, but there are some good things happening,” New Castle City Council President Linda Ratchford said in the article.

Read more about the plans and progress for the new national monument, as well as Milner’s role in it, on WDDE here.

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