If the Contemporary Arts Center has its way, Cincinnati will be dancing in the streets at noon May 24.

        That's the official groundbreaking for the CAC's Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, its 85,000-square-foot new home at Sixth and Walnut streets downtown.

        Designed by London-based architect Zaha Hadid, the $29 million, six-story structure will include 17,000 square feet of exhibit space, almost double what the CAC has now; a sixth-floor education center called the UnMuseum, lower-level performance space, gift shop and lobby. Ms. Hadid hopes it will remind passers-by of an indoor park.

        It is the CAC's first free-standing home since its 1939 founding and the first American museum designed by a woman.

        Ms. Hadid will be in town to join groundbreaking festivities.

        The groundbreaking is also a noon to 1 p.m. street party. Cincinnati will close Walnut Street between Sixth and Seventh and erect a stage on the site of the new center.

        It's also expected that the CAC will announce it has reached its $34.1 million fund-raising goal that day.

        The CAC is estimating a spring 2003 opening date.
       

Mother charged in boy's death
Protect kids, parents told
Big Mac Bridge likely to be big mess
Ohio execution on for tonight
Prayer vigils oppose executions
Justice Dept. to begin police review
Neighbor sought in fatal shooting
PULFER: Suburbs not obligated to city
Arts center plans construction party
Children's psychiatric care to expand from fund-raiser
County OKs school funding
Suit seeks apology in stunt-tape case
Trooper is accused in indictment
Don't shuffle kids, schools told
A look at Covington school proposals
Monmouth appeal rejected
One-of-a-kind benches find a home
Southgate school marks 100th year
College student misbehavior intensifies
Congrats
Drug-free coalition plans a bigger role
Historic house's value argued
Key Foundation begins relief work
Lawsuit: Charter schools illegal, unconstitutional
Local Digest
Raft race celebrates Ohio River heritage
School Notebook