African American issues dominate Darryl Rouson funding requests

Image via Colin Hackley.

Sen. Darryl Rouson is asking for nearly $78 million in funding for local projects, with the biggest asks for those who would benefit a large chunk of his constituents — those in the African American community. 

Of the $77.9 million, spanning 58 requests, the largest ask is for the Hillsborough County African American Arts and Cultural Center, for which Rouson is requesting $10 million. 

The next largest request is for a sickle cell workforce education and training program, clocking in at $4.5 million. 

The cultural center funding would pay for construction on the 50,000 square-foot facility. Once completed, the center would include “a range of public experience spaces, meeting spaces, galleries, labs, studios, educational classrooms, a cafe, administrative support offices, interior and exterior special event spaces, and parking.”

Rouson’s request notes that the total project cost for the next fiscal year will be $22.5 million, with $1 million in federal matching grants, along with $6.5 million from the state, $4.75 million from local entities and another $250,000 from miscelaneous sources. 

The request for sickle cell training would provide $3.5 million for a Clinical Outcomes study evaluating how clinicians can improve and stakeholder engagement; $725,000 for clinical staff to create educational infrastructure; $200,000 for project management and oversight; and $75,000 for administrative support.

Rouson also requested $3.5 million to improve a sickle cell registry, providing better data collection and reporting and another $2 million for Phase III of the expansion of sickle cell disease care in Florida. A smaller request asks for $150,000 for the sickle cell awareness foundation, Hands of Hope. 

Rouson’s request also reflects his long-standing commitment to substance abuse prevention and treatment. As a recovering addict himself, Rouson has long been an advocate for stamping out drug use.

He requested $3.9 million for an opioid incident response simulation modeling and health care professional training program at the University of South Florida. The funding would aid a joint project that aims to help counties “better plan for and respond to opioid overdoses.” 

Another request seeks $750,528 for the Bridges 2 Recovery program to better coordinate with law enforcement through a collaboration with the group Live Tampa Bay. 

Crime prevention is also prevalent in Rouson’s requests, with $3.465 million requested for the Ybor City Crime Prevention Coalition; $1.12 million for a juvenile recidivism and prevention program; $1 million for an inmate certification and reentry program; $750,000 for a USF St. Petersburg risk to resilience lab; $479,646 for the Tampa Police Department’s crime reduction efforts in Ybor City; and $200,000 for real time crime data integration for the Tampa Police Department.  

Other funding requests from Rouson include: 

— $3.78 million to expand Mahaffey Theater in St. Pete.

— $3.5 million for the Prodigy Cultural Arts program.

— $3 million for improvements to 29th St. and Lake Ave. 

— $2.5 million for the Pinellas Science Center.

— $2.5 million for the USF Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program.

— $2 million for improvements to Washington St. from S. Tamiami Trail to S. 56th St. in Tampa. 

— $1.79 million for capital repairs to the Lutheran Apartments. 

— $1.75 million for a new bandshell at Perry Harvey Park in Tampa.

— $1.5 million for Catholic Charities’ Tampa Hope Cottages.

— $1.5 million for a Florida Blockchain Business Association Innovation Lab at the Pinellas Science Center. 

— $1.31 million for the Florida Children’s Initiative food security and nature deficit program. 

— $1.15 million for the St. Petersburg Community Support HUB, to promote neighborhood and community wellness. 

— $1.1 million for Tampa Bay Watch for living shoreline and water quality improvements. 

— $1.1 million for replacement of the St. Petersburg Willow Marsh boardwalk.

— $1 million for increasing public transit access for the transportation disadvantaged in Pinellas County. 

— $1 million for neighborhood protection and living shoreline enhancements in Tampa’s Palmetto Beach neighborhood. 

— $985,000 to expand the Florida Green Jobs Youth Initiative. 

— $930,000 for the Pre-Apprenticeship Training and Hiring program (PATH).

— $900,000 for Girls Inc. of Pinellas.

— $850,000 for Phase II renovations to the Palladium Theater in St. Pete. 

— $830,000 for a structural assessment and bathroom repairs at the Cuban Club in Ybor City. 

— $750,000 for the Hillsborough County Pebble Beach bridge.

— $750,000 for the Lions World Vision Institute Foundation to support pediatric vision health. 

— $750,000 for a youth advocate program serving Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. 

— $750,000 for a mobile one-stop career center. 

— $725,500 for the Penny Lane Beatles Museum Educational Ticket to Ride. 

— $660,000 for statewide women’s business centers. 

— $550,000 for capital renovations for the South Florida Medical Network.

— $500,000 for general operating support for educational television programming. 

— $500,000 for a new medical care and health educational center in the Countryside area of Pinellas County. 

— $500,000 for the Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter National Bar Association Fellowship. 

— $500,000 for a Florida youth leadership, mentoring and character education pilot program. 

— $500,000 for the Arts Conservatory for Teens.

— $500,000 for a youth opportunity skills center. 

— $500,000 for Project Life Stream.

— $480,000 a healthy neighborhood stores program through FRESH Pace. 

— $350,000 for the Life Skills 360 Training Institute. 

— $325,000 for the Our Children Have Rights parent education and engagement program focusing on child custody and coparenting. 

— $300,000 for ladder truck replacement for St. Pete Fire. 

— $250,000 for Florida Recovery Schools of Tampa Bay.

— $250,000 for the Hillsborough County Black Chamber of Commerce.

— $250,000 for the Mt. Zion Family Life Center. 

— $250,000 for Eckerd College’s Florida High Risk Youth Educational Research program. 

— $135,000 for a boys leadership, education and mentorship program. 

— $95,000 for The Red Tent Women’s Initiative.