Public Works Director Steve Parkinson, who works with the city’s Burial Ground Committee, said Tuesday his staff has requested $100,000 for fiscal year 2007 for engineering and construction of the memorial. The money would be allocated through the city’s capital improvement plan.

The City Council has scheduled a work session on Jan. 30 to discuss the proposed CIP. If the council includes the burial ground memorial in the fiscal year 2007 plan, the money would be available July 1.

The archaeological report, conducted by Independent Archaeological Consulting, found physical and DNA evidence to support historical records that said the site was a cemetery for African slaves and others of African descent during the 18th century.

The African Burial Ground Committee came up with plans for a grass and brick sidewalk memorial last fall, but has not met since then.

City Councilor and committee Chairman John Hynes said the committee will likely meet in the next few months to discuss plans for memorial construction. The committee also needs to come up with a design for a monument that would be placed at the site.

Parkinson said work at the site would likely start this fall and be completed by winter. He said any digging at the site will be done carefully so not to disturb the graves still underground.

Construction would also include reburial of the eight sets of skeletal remains removed from the site for the archaeological study. The remains were discovered in October 2003 when the city was doing sewer work in the area.

Once the memorial is installed, the Court Street end of Chestnut Street will be permanently closed to vehicle traffic.

Parkinson said the monument, which could be something like a granite plaque, would be a separate cost from the installation of the grass and brick memorial area.