The High Point City Council voted this week to set aside $200,000 for renovating the childhood home of jazz legend John Coltrane.
The modest, two-story home is currently owned by the city. It's been at the center of a preservation effort, but funding put the project on hold. The 1920s-era house will eventually be turned into a tourist destination.
The City Council’s vote is contingent on securing at least $200,000 in matching private funds and finding an entity to operate programming in the space.
High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson said at the meeting on Monday that any selected operator would also need to be able to create revenue to sustain the house.
“I've not heard anyone at this point make the case for why the city shouldn't still own it. However, what the case has been made is that it shouldn't be on the taxpayers’ backs to continue to fund ongoing maintenance," Jefferson said.
The vote comes as the John Coltrane International Jazz & Blues Festival in High Point is scheduled to take place this month.
The two-day event begins on Aug. 30.