Agenda 01/25/2022 Item #16D6 (Creating a "Black History of Collier County" Exhibit at Naples Depot Museum)01/25/2022
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Recommendation to collaborate with the NAACP Collier Chapter, Southwest Heritage, Inc., and
the Friends of the Collier County Museums to create a “Black history of Collier County” exhibit
space in the Baggage Car at the Naples Depot Museum; and acknowledge the Friends of the
Museum applied for a Florida Division of Historic Resources African American Cultural and
Historical grant, and that the project will be funded by a variety of non-county grant and other
sources.
OBJECTIVE: To create a space dedicated to telling the history of African Americans in Collier County.
CONSIDERATIONS: Collier County has an opportunity to create a dedicated space to tell the stories of
its early settlers, including Black residents, and their contributions to our community. The Museum
Division has been working with the NAACP Collier Chapter to explore ways to fulfill this goal. One
solution that is being pursued is to create an exhibit space for this purpose in the Baggage Car at the
Naples Depot Museum. The Depot is an appropriate place to tell these stories because the Tenth
Street/Goodlette Road corridor has traditionally been home to Naples’s Black community, and also
because the railroads were a significant employer and source of social mobility for African Americans
both in Collier County and nationally. Using the Baggage Car would allow the Museum to tell the stories
of African Americans whose contributions were essential to the development of Collier County in the
very same neighborhood and industrial environment that many of Naples’s Black residents have called
home for over a century.
In February, the NAACP secured funding through the Community Foundation of Collier County to hire
an architect to produce plans to adaptively reuse the Baggage Car as an exhibit space. Several community
partners have participated in the conversations on how the project will take shape, and design is
progressing.
In October, the Florida Department of State Division of Historical Resources (DHR) announced a new
funding opportunity, the Florida African American Cultural and Historical Grants program (AACH). The
purpose of the grant program is to provide funding for construction projects at facilities in Florida that
highlight the contributions, culture, or history of African Americans. Eligible applicant organizations are
either a public entity or an active Florida nonprofit or 501(c)(3), and there is no match requirement for
grant funding requests up to $500,000. Grant applications were due November 30, 2021.
To expediently prepare and submit a grant application, a four-way partnership was formed among
Southwest Heritage, Inc., Friends of the Collier County Museum, the Museum Division, and the NAACP.
Since 2005 Collier County has had a lease agreement from Southwest Heritage under which the Museum
Division operates and maintains the Depot and its rolling stock. For the grant project, the Friends of the
Museum are the grant applicant. If the grant is awarded, the Museum Division will provide professional
oversight of the construction project, and Southwest Heritage will assure the project meets the Secretary
of Interior Standards and their vision for preserving the Depot for future generations. Once the
construction project is complete the Museum Division will deliver profes sional operations, exhibits,
events, and programming. The NAACP Collier Chapter will provide input with respect to content and
representation.
The grant application was submitted before the due date with a funding request of $488,061. DHR staff
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will review applications for eligibility and allow applicants time for clarifications or corrections. A review
and ranking committee will meet in late February 2022, and awards will be announced sometime
thereafter. If awarded, the project could commence immediately and is estimated to take sixteen (16)
months to complete.
If the Board of County Commissioners (Board) does not approve this project in concept, the grant
application can be withdrawn. If the grant is not awarded, the partners will explore new sources of
funding.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no Fiscal impact associated with approving this project in concept. If the
Friends of the Collier County Museums are awarded the AACH grant, the expense to make the car a
usable exhibit space is anticipated to be covered. The Friends of the Museums are willing to guarantee
covering any project costs that exceed the grant amount. Staff estimates that operating expenses would
require an additional $16,000 annually in the Naples Depot Museum budget. Funding sources for these
operating costs and any future permanent exhibits are being explored. If the grant is awarded and when all
final project and operating costs are known, should there be any County budget implications, the item will
be brought back to the Board for approval prior to proceeding.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item has been reviewed by the County Attorney, raises no legal
issues at this time and requires majority vote for approval. -JAK
GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: There is no Growth Management impact associated with this
item.
RECOMMENDATION: To approve in concept adaptive reuse of the Baggage Car at the Naples Depot
Museum as a Black history of Collier County exhibit space in collaboration with the NAACP Collier
Chapter, Southwest Heritage, Inc., and the Friends of the Collier County Museums; funded by a variety of
non-county grant and other sources.
Prepared By: Amanda Townsend, Director, Museum Division
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COLLIER COUNTY
Board of County Commissioners
Item Number: 16.D.6
Doc ID: 20770
Item Summary: Recommendation to collaborate with the NAACP Collier Chapter, Southwest
Heritage, Inc., and the Friends of the Collier County Museums to create a “Black history of Collier
County” exhibit space in the Baggage Car at the Naples Depot Museum; and acknowledge the Friends of
the Museum applied for a Florida Division of Historic Resources African American Cultural and
Historical grant, and that the project will be funded by a variety of non-county grant and other sources.
Meeting Date: 01/25/2022
Prepared by:
Title: – Museum
Name: Lorna Jervis
12/07/2021 11:34 AM
Submitted by:
Title: Division Director - MuseumOperations Support – Museum
Name: Amanda O. Townsend
12/07/2021 11:34 AM
Approved By:
Review:
County Attorney's Office Jeffrey A. Klatzkow Level 2 Attorney Review Completed 01/05/2022 3:39 PM
Museum Amanda O. Townsend Additional Reviewer Completed 12/09/2021 11:39 AM
Operations & Veteran Services Jeff Newman Additional Reviewer Completed 12/10/2021 11:06 AM
Operations & Veteran Services Kimberley Grant Additional Reviewer Completed 12/15/2021 3:25 PM
Public Services Department Todd Henry Public Services Department Completed 12/15/2021 3:52 PM
Public Services Department Dan Rodriguez PSD Department Head Completed 01/19/2022 10:40 AM
Office of Management and Budget Debra Windsor Level 3 OMB Gatekeeper Review Completed 01/19/2022 10:43 AM
Office of Management and Budget Susan Usher Additional Reviewer Completed 01/19/2022 12:25 PM
County Attorney's Office Jeffrey A. Klatzkow Level 3 County Attorney's Office Review Completed 01/19/2022 1:08 PM
County Manager's Office Amy Patterson Level 4 County Manager Review Completed 01/19/2022 2:51 PM
Board of County Commissioners Geoffrey Willig Meeting Pending 01/25/2022 9:00 AM
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