Fayetteville could soon see a new museum focusing on Black local history and culture, as the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners will consider Tuesday whether to approve a potential contract with the nonprofit Community Development Foundation to take the first steps in the $900,000 project.
Here’s everything you need to know about what the board will discuss during its regular meeting at 6:45 p.m. on Jan. 16:
Black Voice and History Museum
County Manager Clarence Grier is requesting that commissioners approve a preliminary contract with the Community Development Foundation to build a Black Voice and History Museum in downtown Fayetteville, according to a Jan. 10 memorandum from the county attorney to the board.
The memorandum states that the board earmarked $450,000 “for a proposed African American museum” on April 18, 2022. Those funds sit in the Preliminary Capital category of the Capital Investment Fund for the current fiscal year, which began on July 1, 2023, and ends on June 30 of this year.
The county’s funding will be contingent on the city of Fayetteville also providing $450,000, according to the memorandum.
The contract won’t come into effect until after a resolution requesting and describing the funds’ intended use is presented to the board, which is required under North Carolina law, the memorandum said. Grier, however, is asking commissioners to approve the contract in advance to allow the project to progress more quickly, according to the memorandum.
The contract, which could run through June 30, 2025, will task the Community Development Foundation with community outreach, research on similar museums and a feasibility and economic impact analysis study, according to a proposed scope of work plan.
“A nationally prominent architect and urban planner will guide the entire rethinking of downtown Fayetteville and produce architectural and design concepts for the Black Voice Museum, Chesnutt Plaza and the integration of the Historic Downtown area and current Fayetteville Corridor projects,” the document states.
Vape and tobacco shop restrictions
Commissioners will also consider taking the next step in placing new restrictions on vape and tobacco shops in the county. The board is scheduled to vote on a proposed amendment to its zoning ordinance that would prohibit such shops from being within 1,000 feet of schools, daycare facilities, group homes, public parks, halfway houses, residential rehabilitation support facilities and similar stores, according to the potential amendment’s text.
The initiative was first introduced by Chairman Glenn Adams in the fall of 2023 after inspiration from Wake County.
The Cumberland County Joint Planning Board recommended commissioners approve the amendment at its Dec. 19 meeting, according to a Jan. 4 memorandum.
The amendment would apply to the sale of any product containing tobacco, nicotine, THC or kratom and any electronic device that delivers “nicotine, THC or other substances to the person inhaling from the device,” it states.
Nominations to the Parks and Recreation board
Commissioners will vote to appoint two new members to the Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, which currently has two vacancies, according to a Jan. 3 memorandum from Deputy Clerk Iva Clark.
The board can choose from current member Louis Wood and new applicants Antonio Renteria, David Breece and Stacey Bolton, the memorandum states.
Reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at lsolomon@cityviewnc.com or 910-423-6500.
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