The shell of a new Tubman African American Museum has loomed large over downtown Macon for years, its doors blocked by fencing and faded “construction area” signs.

Now, a proposal to finish the museum with $2.5 million in sales tax money is making the museum loom large over the entire $190 million sales tax referendum. Some residents and more than a handful of elected officials are wary of including the Tubman construction in this November’s special purpose local option sales tax in Bibb County.

“I think it’s a deal killer,” said Ed Watt, a retired north Macon salesman. “I don’t think the government should be in that type of business.”

Watt said he plans to vote against the entire SPLOST referendum because of his opposition to government involvement with the Tubman, a private museum.

That worries some city officials, who say the Tubman project -- about 1.3 percent of the total SPLOST package -- is a valuable economic development tool to help downtown. It’s also part of a bigger, critical package, they say.

“It doesn’t make sense to have that kind of venom or that kind of vitriol when you’re talking about a very, very minute portion of the SPLOST,” said City Council President James Timley.

Inside the building

The unfinished Tubman building near Terminal Station, across from the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, has been something of a time capsule.

Little has changed since work stopped in 2005 after money ran out, but temporary plywood over some window and door openings has been ravaged by weather. Inside, gray fireproofing material covers most of the metal, eliminating echoes in the cavernous, 49,000-square-foot building. Light streams in through the building’s distinctive copper dome, modeled on an African chieftain’s helmet. A few decaying birds have fallen onto the second floor. About $12.5 million has already been invested in the building.

The museum’s executive director, Andy Ambrose, sees untapped possibilities in the new building -- and even improvements. Since construction halted, there have been more ideas about how to exhibit the Tubman’s extensive archives, and how to vastly improve heating and air conditioning that will make the building more efficient than when it was first planned.

Ambrose said the Tubman has $5 million for construction now, which, matched with $2.5 million in SPLOST funds, would open the doors.

“We’re looking at the $2.5 million we need to get in there to relaunch construction and open the museum as a working museum,” he said.

But the SPLOST money and current donations on hand wouldn’t completely finish the museum. It would cost another $2 million to $2.5 million to finish all the exhibition spaces, which could be done in stages that would allow the museum to grow staff and budgets more gradually.

Ambrose said the museum has two pro forma financial evaluations that show the museum will be successful. He declined to release them, saying details in the reports are confidential. But he said the Tubman would compare favorably to other museums’ experiences.

“We realize as well that the downturn in the economy has changed the picture, and that’s why we’re not planning to operate at full bore to start with,” Ambrose said.

In the current building, which measures about 8,500 square feet, only a fifth of the collection can be on display. Ambrose said more visitors should come for the larger collections. The Tubman has struggled, even with a $250,000 annual subsidy from Bibb County. The organization’s 2009 tax filing shows it spent $904,040 that year, while bringing in $26,178 from tours, $96,542 from festivals and classes, and $37,478 from membership dues. The museum budget also heavily relies on other contributions and grants.

Economic development hopes

Macon Mayor Robert Reichert acknowledges the plans to put SPLOST money into the Tubman are controversial, but he hopes it won’t be a lightning rod.

“This could be a point of unification of the community, something we can all get behind for various reasons and prevent it from becoming a point of distraction and of division,” he said.

Reichert said the Tubman is critical to helping downtown economic development. Right now, the unfinished museum is hurting downtown, he said.

“I think most people would agree we’ve got to do something with the existing Tubman building. You can’t just board it up and leave it. It detracts from what we’re trying to do downtown,” he said. “Completed, open, it serves as an addition to what we’re trying to do.”

City attorneys are still trying to figure out how the SPLOST money could be put into the Tubman. Attorneys for the city and county governments have said they think the Tubman building could only receive the funding if the city owned it -- even if only temporarily. Reichert said the legal search continues, but there’s no risk Macon would wind up running a museum and that the Tubman would be funded only if such funding is feasible.

Some people who want to see Macon revitalized are skeptical about whether the Tubman is the way to do it.

“I don’t see it bringing enough tourists,” said Angel Watts, a 35-year-old collections worker. She said she plans to vote against the SPLOST because she can’t afford any more taxes.

A co-worker, Deborah Chambliss of Monroe County, said Macon needs more jobs downtown, but the Tubman won’t bring them.

“You need more business downtown, more places to eat, more places to shop, like it used to be,” she said.

Michael Tully, who said he’s a Florida-based investor who’d only been in Macon two days, said a completed Tubman is critical to economic development and smoothing racial divisions.

“I think it’s vital that they put in the money,” he said.

Finding a common ground?

Macon City Councilman Tom Ellington said it’s easy for people to be distracted by the Tubman or other polarizing issues. He worries the most about an ailing 800Mhz emergency radio system, another project the SPLOST would help pay for. He’s said he’s not certain any one portion of the SPLOST should be a reason to vote for or against the tax.

“The burden is on our side to urge passage,” he said, noting that it’s hard to raise taxes in a tough economy and a tough political climate.

“What we’re talking about doing with the SPLOST is really, really important stuff. I would say that virtually the 800Mhz system alone is reason to vote yes. But I think the package (overall) has enormous merit. I hope when people are evaluating it, they look at the entirety of the package, not any one part.”

County commissioners have questioned how the Tubman could hurt the overall chances of getting the SPLOST passed, but ultimately let it in as a city project.

Commissioner Joe Allen, who represents the western part of the county, said racism may play a role in the opposition against the Tubman, but people also question whether government should be investing in the Tubman.

Recent history -- in which Macon lost the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and was threatened with losing the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame despite offers of local government support -- isn’t helping.

“People are divided because of the Tubman,” he said. “People see the Tubman as a strain on pocketbooks.”

Allen said he’s looking at the bigger picture of the SPLOST and plans to vote for it. He said he hopes people will hold their noses if they don’t like small parts of it, because the SPLOST is important to the community. They won’t be alone.

“There’s things on there I don’t like,” Allen said.

To contact writer Mike Stucka, call 744-4251.