West Tampa native and Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers is leading the charge to build an African American Arts and Cultural Center in the community.
The plans call for the demolition of the West Tampa Neighborhood Resource Center on Rome Avenue.
Currently, Hillsborough County doesn't have a facility like this, and with the transformation plans for West Tampa, Myers said this is the perfect fit.
The vision all started during her campaign.
"One of the things that kept coming to mind was an African American Museum and we didn't have that. We didn't have a place and don't have a place today to really tell our story of the rich history of African Americans who have paved the way when you look at and think of West Tampa today. Back in the 60s, West Tampa was booming. So you have a lot of art and culture that you can bring here to West Tampa and as West Tampa is being transformed, now, this is the perfect timing to build a new African American Art and Culture Center here in West Tampa," said Gwen Myers, Hillsborough County Commissioner
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Myers estimates this project would cost about $30 million, and plans call to break ground in 2024 and have it complete by 2026.
"Oh, yeah, but you're talking to an aggressive county commissioner who believes in the project and has met with at least 14 to 15 private sector companies. And they're on board because they realize the need in the West Tampa community. And so we have been blessed to have $1 million from the state of Florida already to fund the design, which I'm happy to say the Board of County Commissioners plans to approve that," said Myers.
Myers said there will be an upcoming event in June at the site to have a formal introduction into the community.
Right now, plans call for educational and art programs here, along with an amphitheater.
When Rome Yard, West River and the West Riverwalk are complete, access to the center would be key.
"You have the history center downtown; you have the Straz downtown. And then the African American Art and Culture Center in West Tampa, it is all centered within a two-mile radius that you can easily get to, if we decide to have something on the same day, you can be in one location and get to the next in less than 15 minutes," explained Myers.
