The historic Black Cemetery was destroyed in the early 1900s, auctioned and reparceled for redevelopment.

TAMPA, Fla. — After nearly three years of promises, Tampa City Council is set on Thursday set to approve a land swap to help restore the destroyed Zion Cemetery, where archaeologists found hundreds of graves starting in 2019.

The historic Black cemetery currently rests under three different properties: the Tampa Housing Authority’s now-shuttered Robles Park Village, a local towing lot and property belonging to well-known restauranteur Richard Gonzmart, who owns about 50% of the land that makes up Zion Cemetery.  

While the Tampa Housing Authority committed years ago to surrendering its land to help restore the cemetery, the other two property owners hesitated due to having no other place for their businesses. 

Both community leaders and businesses pushed the city to right what they called a historical wrong by orchestrating a land swap in which the private business owners would be allowed to move to another location so the cemetery land could be free for full restoration. 

“That is going to come to fruition,” Mayor Jane Castor previously told 10 Investigates. 

RELATED: Erased: The fight to restore Tampa Bay area’s destroyed Black cemeteries

A March 31 memo to city council from Deputy City Attorney Morris Massey says the swap will be a property exchange between the City of Tampa, Ulele, Inc., RGG 220 7th Ave LLC and Gonzmart’s entity, Florida Avenue Real Estate Holdings, LLC. 

The goal is for Gonzmart’s parcel of land to be transferred to the Zion Cemetery Preservation and Maintenance Society. The nonprofit is currently working to turn the destroyed cemetery site into a memorial with a genealogy center. 

RELATED: As Zion Cemetery gets historical marker, Gonzmart promises to donate land with buried graves

Zion Cemetery was established in 1901 by businessman Richard Doby during an era of segregation in life and death. Historians say racism coupled with pressures of development and gentrification led to the cemetery being auctioned and destroyed. Developers eventually built over the site. 

Emerald Morrow is an investigative reporter with 10 Tampa Bay News. Like her on Facebook. You can also email her at emorrow@10TampaBay.com. To read more about the search for lost African American cemeteries in the Tampa Bay area, head to 10tampabay.com/erased.