Sen. Geraldine Thompson, who chairs the Florida Black History Museum Task Force, spoke out in opposition on Friday. (Colin Hackley/File)
Ahead of a Monday deadline, members of a state task force voted Friday to submit a report to the governor and state Legislature outlining recommendations for how a proposed Black history museum in St. Johns County could be built, marketed, operated and ultimately made self-sustaining.
“We will now simply turn the report over to the Florida Legislature to take next steps,” said Tony Lee, a member of the Florida Black History Museums Task Force and interim vice chancellor for public affairs for the state university system.
The task force voted 6-1 in favor of moving forward with the report, but its chair, Rep. Geraldine Thompson, an Orange County Democrat, opposed it. Lawmakers established the task force for 2023, but the museum does not have the funding.
The report calls for a study of sites in St. Johns County, but Thompson unsuccessfully asked the state department to conduct a broader feasibility study that would also look at potential sites in Eatonville and Opalocka.
“This is something I’ve been advocating for since the task force was formed and began its work,” Thompson said. “Without a feasibility study, we’re really operating in the dark. We’re just guessing and hoping that this will be successful without any concrete data.”
But other members of the task force argued the proposal was an attempt to negate a vote last month to build a museum in St. Johns County. A proposal from Eatonville in Central Florida came in second, followed by Opalocka in Miami-Dade County.
Supporters of a museum in Central Florida aren’t giving up on trying to overturn the site decision.
Rep. Bruce Antone, D-Orlando, the sponsor of the 2023 museum bill, argued against approving the task force report and starting the legislative process over again in 2025.
“The task force did not do what it was supposed to do as required by law,” Antone told the committee on Friday.
Antone said Thursday that a new task force needs to be created that doesn’t include political appointees and can provide insight into the history that should be made public.
Anton also criticized the site selection process that ultimately pitted the St. Augustine area of St. Johns County and black communities in Central Florida against each other.
The community that hosts the museum is expected to provide matching funds for its construction and operation.
In brief comments to the task force, St. Johns County Executive Joy Andrews disputed wetland and environmental concerns raised by critics about the 17.5-acre site owned by the Florida Memorial University Foundation. Andrews also said the foundation’s recent leadership change won’t affect its efforts on the St. Johns site.
Questions were raised last month about the rankings issued by task force member Kiyan Michael, a Jacksonville Republican who gave the St. Augustine area a perfect score and Eatonville the lowest. Michael said he did not “intentionally” try to influence the scores.
The proposed site is expected to accommodate a facility of more than 100,000 square feet. At $1,000 per square foot, it is estimated that such a facility would cost at least $100 million to build and maintain.
The museum complex will include meeting rooms, banquet halls and a performing arts theater for private events.
–Jim Turner, Florida News Service
