Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 11-22-19

Features
34th Street Roundabouts To Be Discussed At City Council Workshop
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Thursday, November 21, Tampa City Council mem- bers will hold a workshop. One of the topics open for dis- cussion will be the three roundabouts slated for N. 34th Street.
City Councilman Or- lando Gudes said staff will make its report to the Council during the workshop. At that time, members of the public will have an opportunity to share their comments as well.
The city plans to install three new roundabouts to im- prove roadway safety along 34th Street. They will be lo- cated at the intersections of E. 21st Avenue and N. 34th Street; E. Lake Avenue and N. 34th Street, and E. Osborne Av- enue and N. 34th Street.
The plan to convert the in- tersections, two of which cur- rently have traffic lights, into roundabouts were submitted and put into motion in 2013 under the Bob Buckhorn Administration by City Trans- portation and Stormwater Di- rector, Jean Duncan, P. E. The roundabouts are de- signed to change a 2-mile seg- ment of 34th Street from Columbus Drive to Hillsbor- ough Avenue.
The surveying was com- pleted in the Spring of 2019. The changes are slated for completion in the fall of 2020. The installation of the roundabouts will result in the
narrowing of N. 34th Street to 2 lanes. Currently, the stretch of roadway between E. Lake Avenue and E. Dr. M. L. King, Jr., Blvd., is 4 lanes.
The last public hearing about the project was held in 2014, and was met with mixed reactions from the community.
Despite the fact that the roundabouts are not being welcomed, Mayor Jane Castor said they must be completed or the City will be required to repay more than $3 million earmarked for the projects.
The completion of three roundabouts will bring the total to seven (7) in East Tampa. Currently they are lo- cated at: N. 22nd Street and E. 23rd Avenue, N. 40th Street and E. Hanna Avenue; N. 40th Street and E. River Hills Drive, and N. 40th Street and E. Yukon.
ORLANDO GUDES City Councilman, District 5
$1 Million Donated To Renovation Of Historic Jackson House
MAYOR JANE CASTOR
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Monday, (today) Mayor Jane Castor an- nounced a partnership de- signed to save a historic Tampa landmark. Jeff and Penny Vinik recently com- mitted up to $1 million to help save the Jackson House.
The funding was donated to the Jackson House Founda- tion to restore the rooming house and preserve the mean- ingful local history that it rep- resents.
Jeff Vinik said, “The Vinik Family Foundation has committed up to $1 million in funding in support of the Jack- son House Foundation to re- store the Jackson Rooming House and preserve the mean- ingful local history that the house represents.
“As Tampa continues to grow and change, it is critical that we invest in preserving the unique and valuable his- tory of those who laid the foundation for our progress. Tampa’s diversity is our most valuable asset.”
Through a partnership with Mayor Jane Castor, the Jackson House Founda- tion, led by past NAACP Presi- dent Dr. Carolyn Hepburn Collins, will be seeking addi- tional grant funding for the project. “First and foremost thank you to the Viniks for their very generous donation and their commitment to pre- serving this historic landmark.
“It’s impossible to put a dollar amount on the preserva- tion of Tampa’s rich history. Throughout the city we are ex-
JEFF AND PENNY VINIK
DR. CAROLYN COLLINS
tremely excited by new devel- opment that is activating our once blighted areas, but we must celebrate and respect the pioneers that built our great city,” Mayor Castor said.
The Jackson Rooming House was built in 1901 by Moses and Sarah Jackson and operated as a boarding house for African Americans and other travelers during the era of racial segregation.
The Jackson House hosted many prominent entertainers such as Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole as they passed through Central Avenue which served as a thriving Black business district leading up to the 1960s. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., visited the Jackson House in 1961.
The Jackson House closed in 1989 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. Willie Robinson, Jr., grandson of Moses and Sarah Jackson,
launched the Jackson House Foundation, a Florida non- profit 501c3, and advocated for the restoration of the house leading up to his passing ear- lier this year.
In 2017, with the assistance of a Tampa Bay Lightning Community Hero award, the Jackson House Foundation worked with local engineers to stabilize the house, but the condition of the structure has since worsened.
Dr. Hepburn Collins
has been leading the effort to preserve the Jackson House since February of 2013 when, as acting NAACP President, Dr. Collins began working with Mr. Robinson and countless community leaders on a path forward. After leav- ing NAACP leadership, the board unanimously voted to allow Dr. Collins to continue to lead the project and has served as chair for the Jackson House Foundation since.
Dr. Collins said, “On be- half of the Jackson House Foundation Board of Direc- tors, we are eternally grateful for the generous time and re- sources that have made saving the Jackson House a reality.
“From the support of Mayor Castor and City Council, to the infusion of crit- ical support from Mr. and Mrs. Vinik, we are thankful and we encourage everyone to join this effort to preserve our history.”
JACKSON HOUSE
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