JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A state task force in charge of selecting where Florida’s Black History Museum will be located voted Tuesday to move forward with St. Johns County as the recommended location.
St. Johns County was among the final three locations under consideration. Also being considered were Eatonville in Orange County and Opa-Locka in Dade County.
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For more than four hours the task force debated the pros and cons of the sites being considered.
The St. Johns County location is the former site of the Florida Memorial University campus located near King Street and Holmes Boulevard.
It would be developed into a campus-style museum of African American history, performing arts and cultural exhibits.
Next, a feasibility study is needed before plans can move forward. The task force is set to finish its work by July 1.
Last month, dozens of St. Johns County residents headed to Tallahassee in support of building the museum in the county, but they didn’t get very far before they had an unexpected detour. Their charter bus caught fire on I-10, just west of the Glen St. Mary exit.
Despite some dramatic photos, the more than 50 people on the bus were able to get off safely and no one was hurt.
Greg White was on the bus and said the group believes one of the tires blew and caused a spark to ignite the engine.