Donor pledges $1.5 million for vets memorial

McALLEN - An anonymous donor has pledged $1.5 million to complete work on the Veterans War Memorial of Texas - but only if the city matches his contribution.

The move would fund construction of a 105-foot steel spire and an educational building in the center of the memorial, which is located at the intersection of South 29th Street and Galveston Avenue, near the McAllen Convention Center.

But the deal comes with a string attached: If the city won't match his $1.5 million, the donor will give nothing

Retired U.S. Army Col. Frank Plummer, who heads the memorial committee, isn't saying who the donor is but maintains he is a "reputable" member of the community.

"This appears to be a bona fide offer," Plummer wrote in a letter to city leaders last week.

The memorial features stone walls and statues honoring those who died or went missing in the nation's wars.

The designs for the building in the center of the five-acre site have been completed and the memorial committee began seeking donations and grants for it about six months ago.

"We aren't putting any pressure on the city at all," Plummer said, noting the committee already appreciates the support of the city, which donated the land for the memorial.

Plummer said the building, which will be designed as an educational center featuring multimedia history lessons, will be an asset to the community.

And in a region where so many families have had loved ones serve in the military, honoring the sacrifice of veterans makes sense, Plummer said.

"I see all this patriotism," he said. "The families, the mothers who've lost sons and daughters - they live the rest of their lives in grief."

A combined $3 million from the city and the donor would be enough to fully fund the building's construction, Plummer said.

Once the memorial committee secures funding, it could construct the building and spire in 18 months, he said.

But McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez said the city still has a lot of research to conduct regarding the deal.

Before the city would consider matching the donation, the donor would likely be required to put the money in a separate account so the city could verify the legitimacy of the offer.

Cortez said the city can't afford to be hasty as it considers matching the donation, but he doesn't want to lose the opportunity to secure such a large contribution, either.

"We need to be prudent with how we use our resources," the mayor said. "That's not to say it's not a good use of resources, but the planning is a lot more than just building the building."

He said city leaders would also have to determine whether the memorial committee has the funding in place to continue operating the building once it's built.

The proposed contribution came as a complete surprise, Cortez said.

But, he added, "those are good surprises to have."