SJC Approves Ground Lease with FMU Foundation for site of proposed Black History Museum

• 8 October 2025
• Category: SJC News
• Tags: 2025 Black History Museum

The lease allows the County to use the former FMU campus property for the state’s Black History Museum.

The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners has unanimously passed a Resolution approving and authorizing the County Administrator to execute a Ground Lease Agreement with Florida Memorial University Foundation, Inc., (FMUF) for use of the school’s former campus site in St. Augustine as the location for the state’s Black History Museum. The FMUF Board of Trustees is scheduled to consider approving the agreement and celebrating the new partnership at their 2025 Homecoming Week festivities.

In May 2024, the Florida Museum of Black History Task Force selected St. Johns County as the location for the State’s inaugural Black History Museum.

St. Johns County hosted a historic celebration on Sept. 18 to mark the State of Florida’s $1 million appropriation for planning and designing the Florida Black History Museum in West Augustine.

FMUF owns the property, which the County seeks to lease to advance the development, construction, and operation of the museum and associated public facilities, subject to the availability of sufficient State funding.

The initial term of the lease is two years. At the conclusion of the initial term, and provided the County has secured sufficient State funding to proceed with the design and construction of the museum, the County will have the right to enter into a long-term renewal of this lease for an initial 30-year term, with up to three successive 30-year renewal terms.

The County will pay the FMUF $1,000 monthly rent during the initial term. At least ninety 90 days before the expiration of the initial term, the County and FMUF have agreed to meet in good faith to review and renegotiate the rent. Considerations will include the status of State funding commitments for the museum, the progress of feasibility studies, environmental assessments, and design concepts completed, and any other relevant project developments.