A statewide task force decided to recommend St. Johns County out of eight possible sites.
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — St. Johns County has come out on top in final recommendations for a potential site for the state’s Black History Museum.
The decision was made Friday by a statewide committee.
“It’s a relief that it’s finally over,” said St. Johns County Executive Joy Andrews, who spearheaded the museum acquisition that is expected to boost tourism.
St. Johns County was one of eight locations in the state competing for the project, particularly with Eatonville in Orange County, the hometown of African-American author Zora Neale Hurston, whose supporters argued that their site was more centrally located and accessible.
But on Friday, the Florida Black History Museum Task Force, which includes historical experts and politicians, voted 6-1 to recommend St. Johns County as the site for the museum.
“Obviously, no one knows what the price tag will be,” Mr Andrews said.
The St. Johns County site is currently owned by Florida Memorial University in South Florida. The HBCU agreed to offer 17 acres of land less than three miles west of downtown St. Augustine, just past Holmes Boulevard on County Road 214. The land was once the site of the school before racists drove the university out of town in the 1960s.
“The roles that each of the three parties play will depend on how the state wants to structure this facility,” Andrews explained.
She said the state, county and private donors will cover the costs of construction.
And it’s not set in stone yet: St. Johns County won a coveted recommendation to build a Florida Black History Museum, but Andrews said the Legislature and the governor still need to approve it.
“That is our expectation and our hope!” Andrews said.