Plans for Kennedy Senate institute unveiled

BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - Architectural plans have been unveiled for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, which will sit adjacent to his brother's presidential library in Boston.

The 44,000-square foot facility, designed by architect Rafael Vinoly, will be built with a combination of private and federal money. A centerpiece of the institute will be a replica of the Senate chamber where Kennedy served for 47 years until his death from brain cancer last August.

The institute's president and CEO, Peter Meade, says Kennedy envisioned a facility where visitors, especially students, could learn the history of the U.S. Senate and participate in mock debates on historical and modern-day issues.

Meade says the institute has so far raised about $50 million in private donations and $38.6 million in federal funds.

Groundbreaking is set for September.