Jackson House to undergo extensive reconstruction after collapse
Historic Jackson House to be completely rebuilt
The historic Jackson House in downtown Tampa will need to undergo an extensive reconstruction, with members of the Jackson House Foundation, which owns the building, estimating only about 15% of the home's original wood will be salvageable. FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - The historic Jackson House in downtown Tampa will need to undergo an extensive reconstruction, with members of the Jackson House Foundation, which owns the building, estimating only about 15% of the home's original wood will be salvageable.
Jackson House collapse update
What we know:
The Foundation told Tampa City Council members Thursday that it has hired a new construction management team to begin developing a budget and timeline for the restoration.
A new fence now surrounds the property as plans move forward, with crews spotted doing some work on the home Thursday.
The architect says the existing structure will need to be torn down before a new Jackson House is rebuilt. The foundation’s director said the plan is to restore the home to its 1950s-era appearance.
The update comes days after part of the historic home collapsed over Labor Day weekend. That collapse followed another partial collapse about a year ago that required emergency repairs.
The foundation has previously cited complications involving contractors, FEMA and other issues as contributing to delays in the restoration effort.
The Tampa City Council, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency, ordered the Sept. 10 progress report three weeks ago amid concerns about the project's financing, timeline and the condition of the building.
Tampa council demands answers
Timeline:
CRA staff, the Jackson House Foundation and CRA Chair Naya Young's office updated the board at its 9 a.m. meeting Thursday.
On Aug. 20, the CRA voted 4-2 to approve a grant agreement providing up to $1 million toward the restoration, with a progress report required. In a separate vote, members unanimously requested Thursday's update.
The discussion exposed frustration over years of delays.
"If you cannot accomplish this, give it to the City of Tampa so that we can get it done," CRA member Alan Clendenin said.
Bill Carlson warned at the same meeting that the Jackson House was "about to fall down" and said those involved needed to move quickly.
Days before Thursday's scheduled update, part of it did.
Segregation historic landmark status
The backstory:
The Jackson House was built in 1901 and operated as a boarding house in one of Tampa's oldest Black neighborhoods before closing in 1989.
During the Jim Crow era and segregation, it provided lodging for African American travelers passing through Tampa Union Station who were unable to stay at many other accommodations.
The home also became a destination for prominent visitors, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., James Brown, Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald.
The foundation says the significance of the Jackson House extends beyond the physical structure itself.
It is also one of the few physical remnants of Tampa's once-thriving Black Central Avenue community.
Community leaders react
What they're saying:
During Thursday's discussion, Tampa City Council member Alan Clendenin emphasized that the history represented by the home will survive even if much of the physical building does not.
"The importance here is the story. The story doesn't die, and the story doesn't get blown down by a hurricane," Clendenin said.
Council member Guido Maniscalco also said rebuilding the structure could preserve it for future generations.
"When people are, like you say, disassembling and then recreating and restoring, it's going to be the Jackson House," Maniscalco said. "It's going to be a Jackson House that's going to withstand the test of time and be there for multiple generations to come."
Dr. Carolyn Hepburn Collins, director of the Jackson House Foundation, said the site's history includes the families who lived there and the broader groups who used the boarding house.
"The story is not just a house. It's that family as well that stayed in that house and had economic development before it was even popular," Collins said. "It's not just the African Americans that were fortunate to stay there, but the Native Americans, the military families, and all that contribute to other parts of Tampa that was also able to stay there."
Future Jackson House plans
What's next:
The new construction management team is expected to develop a proposed budget and timeline for the reconstruction.
The Jackson House Foundation hopes the property can eventually become a museum and educational center, with a target of 2028 for opening.
The restoration effort has been a priority since discussions about preserving the historic structure began in 2013.
The Source: Information for this story came from the discussion at Thursday’s Tampa City Council meeting and previous reports on the home.