TAMPA, Fla. — A piece of Tampa’s history is literally falling apart.
A portion of the historic Jackson House collapsed Monday, less than three weeks after Tampa’s Community Redevelopment Agency approved a million-dollar agreement aimed at helping restore the deteriorating landmark.
During the August 20 meeting, City Councilman Bill Carlson warned that the Jackson House could “fall down anytime.”
Now, less than three weeks later, another portion of the historic structure has collapsed.
The timing is significant.
The Jackson House Foundation and city staff are scheduled to come back before the Community Redevelopment Agency Thursday with an update on where the long-delayed restoration project stands.
As the latest collapse happened, it piled on to years of deterioration at the century-old structure.
The house, located at 851 Zack Street, dates back to the early 1900s, and once provided lodging for Black travelers who had few places to stay during segregation.
Its guest list included some of the biggest names in American music, including Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles and Nat King Cole.
But for years, efforts to preserve the Jackson House have been a race against the deterioration of the building itself.
Parts of the house have collapsed before, leading to emergency repairs.
And when Tampa’s CRA considered a million-dollar restoration agreement on August 20, some were already sounding the alarm about additional damage.
The board ultimately approved the agreement.
The deal includes reimbursement toward construction costs, with financial goals the foundation must meet moving forward.
It has been estimated that the restoration will cost between $4 million and $6 million, with the goal of turning the Jackson House into a museum.
Foundation leaders have said they expect construction to take 18 to 24 months once things get underway.
The Jackson House Foundation plans to put out a statement at a later date on the latest collapse.