Tampa is prepared to put $1 million toward restoring the historic Jackson House, but the foundation behind the project must first demonstrate at least $5 million in cash or legally enforceable charitable commitments, excluding the CRA’s contribution, and secure financing for the remaining project costs.
The CRA initially approved $1 million for the restoration in 2022 and reaffirmed its support for the funding in April, but four years after the original commitment the full restoration has yet to begin. An agreement scheduled for a vote Thursday, Aug. 20, would establish the conditions the Jackson House Foundation must satisfy before the CRA begins reimbursing construction costs.
Those conditions follow an April presentation in which the foundation estimated the project would cost $5 million to $6 million and revised $4.055 million in previously identified funding from six public and private sources to $2.25 million after accounting for $1.555 million in potential losses. The revised total already included the CRA’s $1 million contribution.
The potential losses included $750,000 each from a $1 million Vinik Foundation commitment and a $1 million award through Florida’s African-American Cultural and Historical Grant Program, while the proposed 2026 funding total excluded a $55,000 Peter Nicholas donation. The presentation did not explain the potential losses…