OUR FUTURE:

The future site of the AAACC is in West Tampa at 2103 N. Rome Ave. This area is one of the eight original African American neighborhoods in Tampa. West Tampa was where many African American families moved to for housing, homeownership, and developing businesses. The strong ties of the African American community continue in West Tampa today. Per the 2020 Census, the area has a 69% African American population living near the site. Over time, most of Tampa’s original eight African American neighborhoods have been displaced or gentrified. However, today’s West Tampa remains a predominantly African American community, albeit one with no anchor facility for the community to gather and celebrate the area's unique history.

The AAACC building interior layout will include a range of public experience spaces, meeting spaces, galleries, studios, event spaces, retail, and a café. On the exterior, the cultural center will feature an amphitheater, lawn space, sculptures, a ribbon trail, and multi-use gathering spaces. The building design will allow appropriate openings to connect the inside and exterior spaces for large gatherings. The AAACC is intended to be an active facility open seven days a week for visitors, events, and educational groups. The AAACC will inform and emphasize the unique contributions that African Americans have made to the Tampa Bay region and beyond.

The site offers outstanding exposure for donors. Average annual visitor attendance is estimated at over 50,000 visitors, with thousands more from educational groups and special events. The AAACC is in the heart of the City of Tampa’s burgeoning 120-acre West River Redevelopment area (954 mixed income residential units and an economic impact just shy of $400 million). The AAACC is within walking distance of schools and adjacent to the Hillsborough School District’s rebuild of the Just/Stewart K-8 Campus ($70 million and the School District’s first urban core project in 30 years).