Funding plan approved for African-American Arts Center in West Tampa

African American cultural center moves forward

Hillsborough County Commissioners approved a plan to raise funds for a new African American Arts and Cultural Center in Tampa’s West Tampa neighborhood. FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer reports.

TAMPA, Fla - A long-envisioned African American Arts and Cultural Center in West Tampa is moving closer to becoming reality after Hillsborough County Commissioners approved a plan to begin raising money for the project.

What we know:

The center would be built along North Rome Avenue, transforming a vacant property into a two-story, 50,000-square-foot facility dedicated to African American history, art, and culture.

In a 5-1 vote, commissioners approved a naming rights agreement non-profit Tampa Bay African American Arts and Cultural Center, Inc., which allows the organization to find donors who want naming rights throughout the African American Arts and Cultural Center. The naming right spaces include gallery and exhibit areas, meeting rooms, classrooms, event halls, outdoor gathering spaces, and the Heritage walking trail.

The goal is to raise $16 million in private funds for construction and other facility-related costs.

Commissioner Gwen Myers, who has championed the project for years, said the center would finally give Tampa’s African American community a space to share its story.

"The African American community, we don't have a place that we can go to, that we could tell our story," Myers said.

Commissioner Harry Cohen called the project "visionary and aspirational," noting that its value extends beyond simple dollars and cents.

"I see this as being something that is visionary and that is aspirational, and everything does not come down to a strict dollars and cents calculation," he said.

However, not all commissioners are convinced.

Commissioner Joshua Wostal voiced concern over the center’s $44.5 million price tag and questioned whether ongoing operating costs might force the county to raise property taxes.
"It will create another unexpected burden on the bottom line of our property taxes that we already can't manage our current assets and infrastructure on," Wostal said.

Wostal also questioned the project’s focus, saying he was wary of the use of terms like "diversity, equity, and inclusion."

Supporters of the center argue that private fundraising and revenue from future events will help offset the costs. Community members spoke in favor of the project, emphasizing its importance to a historically underrepresented area.

"There’s a vital need to invest in spaces that uplift and empower historically marginalized communities," said Pastor Glenn Snowden of Greater Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.

The county has already allocated more than $16 million in local, state, and federal funding toward the project.

What's next:

Officials hope to break ground on the center within the next year and a half.