Ground could be broken in a matter of months for the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial. Residents approved $3.7 million for the project on Tuesday. SWA designer Dan Affleck says they were pleased to be able to scale back the originally selected design to fit the proposed budget. The original plan came in at $10 million.

Affleck says the design still includes components identified by the Commission as being important to the project.  The biggest single expense is expected to be site preparation, clearing some of the field for the design.  There will be a reduction in plantings and the overall design was simplified and scaled back.  The central water element and the Sycamore, along with the stone work were retained. 

The sacred soil, saved from the demolition of the school, will be integrated into the design, with a description so visitors know the the history of the sacred soil. 

The goal is to open the memorial in time to mark the 10th anniversary of the shooting, which claimed the lives of 20 children and 6 educators.