ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — The future expansion of the Woodson African American Museum of Florida is at a standstill right now.
The project didn't meet all of the criteria for funding from the Capital Improvement Projects Program and now the application is going in front of Pinellas County Commissioners.
"I feel like this is, from my perspective, one of the more important things that could happen for this community," said Jane Bunker who lives down the street from the museum.
It's a museum many in St. Pete are passionate about.
"We have been here for nearly 20 years providing extraordinary programming, art exhibitions, opportunities for youth and for seniors," said Terri Lipsey Scott, Museum Director.
The Woodson African American Museum of Florida teaches what many have little knowledge about.
"There's a whole history of black artists that I knew nothing about…this is at Stanford University, one of the best colleges in the country," said Bunker.
However, the future of the museum and expansion efforts are uncertain.
"I think it's been pretty heartbreaking and definitely a rollercoaster for all the ups and downs of whether this is going to happen," said Bunker.
The museum applied for $10 million from Pinellas County to help pay for its expansion, all part of the Rays stadium deal, but according to Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, based on objective guidelines, the museum didn't meet all the criteria needed for the tourism funding.
"It hits the state, it hits the local plan, on the capital guidelines, while it met almost all of those, it fell just short of the room nights it generates annually," said Brian Lowack with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater.
Now, the application is going before the Pinellas County Commission and will be voted on later this year.
Scott said the museum brings in a lot of tourism dollars.
"When you consider the number of buses that we bring here, from out of town, from North and South Florida, from as North as South Georgia," said Scott.
Bunker hopes the expansion project moves forward.
"We need this history. That's all of our history," said Bunker.
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