The New Mexico Museum of Military History now has its exhibits, it has a conceptual design, it could soon receive more state funding, and it has five acres of land on which to build.

The only problem: No one knows where the museum's land will be.

During last Wednesday's Rio Rancho City Council meeting, NMMMH president Julio Carattini said knowing the exact location of the land could allow the architect to move into actual designs and give the state legislators more confidence in the project. There is just one problem: The five acres the city already allocated to NMMMH will likely not be enough. Originally, the museum board planned for an 85,000 square-foot building, which would easily fit on the five acres. Now, the building will be 110,000 square feet, and it will require seven to 10 acres, according to designer David Decker of Studio Southwest Architects.

Councilor Howard Balmer, who asked Carattini if five acres was enough, said he asked to get a better idea if the project would remain in the City Centre, where it was originally planned.

"It's going to be tough to take 10 acres out of 80 acres when you're building a downtown," he said.

Balmer said the city might have to allocate land elsewhere for the museum.

While Carattini wants the museum "as close as possible to the arena," he is more set on keeping it within the City of Vision.

"It's staying here," he said. "It's staying right here in Rio Rancho."

In the meantime, Carattini and the museum's board members have been in Santa Fe lobbying for funding for the project.

"We're just a bunch of novices as far as being lobbyists," he said.

State Rep. Tom Swisstack (D-Sandoval-60) first said he would champion the museum's cause, but instead it has become a bipartisan effort with 24 lawmakers allocating some capital outlay, from $10,000 to $300,000 to the project. If nothing changes, NMMMH will be receiving nearly $6.5 million for construction of its building.

"Everybody's been extremely supportive," Swisstack said.

The state funding will go toward putting a roof over an expensive collection. The portion donated by Nat Holzer alone is worth about $3.5 million, Carattini said.

By the time the museum opens, the value of the artifacts may have skyrocketed. Carattini said he is hoping to attract another collector to donate his collection, which is worth an estimated $10 million.