Plan stalls to bring MLK papers to Atlanta

ATLANTA - The deal to bring the $32 million Martin Luther King Jr. Collection back to the national icon's hometown was put together in eleven days -- a feat that set an ambitious bar.

Fundraisers pledged they would pay off the loan in two years, and archivists were hopeful the collection of 10,000 of King's personal papers and books would be ready for scholarly and public access this spring.

Two years after the historic purchase, neither of those deadlines have been met.

Organizers now expect to have the debt paid by next summer -- a year after the original due date. About two-thirds of the loan has already been paid, and the rest is being refinanced.

The collection won't be available to scholars and the public until the fall because the archiving process has been expanded.

The collection's supporters downplay the snags and say they're confident they'll meet the new deadlines.