In a press conference last Tuesday, Michael Jackson's father Joe Jackson announced that plans are officially underway to build the Jackson Family Performing Arts Center and Museum in honor of the deceased singer in his hometown of Gary, Indiana. The $300-million superstar project is slated to include a concert hall, a conference center, a eco-friendly golf course, two hotels, a train and bus terminal, a movie theater, a television studio, and several restaurants, shops, nightclubs, and apartment buildings.

In an interview with ARTINFO, Simon Sahouri, president of the Jackson Development & Marketing Corporation, which will operate the center and museum, declined to release the names of the architects involved and was vague about construction details. However, he was optimistic about the project. “We are not slowing down," he said. "This is going to happen.” Phase one is estimated to take three to five years to build.

Rudy Clay, the mayor of Gary, has donated 300 acres of land and has stated that the for-profit facility could creates thousands of jobs, adding $100 million to $150 million to the economy of the gritty steel town each year. However, Clay has said that no tax dollars will be used for the construction of the site.

But, as Simon said, “It’s not just about Michael." In fact, the center and museum will narrate the touching American Dream story of the Jackson family’s rise from rags to riches — “the past, present, and future of the most famous musical family ever,” as Simon put it.

So, what does the future look like for the Jackson family? “We want to build Jackson Family Centers all over the world because we want to connect cultures from all over the world," Simon said. "That’s what the message is all about.”