Six council members were present at the Fort Myers City council meeting, while Mayor Anderson was absent due to a vacation. The math was simple but crucial: four out of six votes were needed to approve item 7.5.
Ahead of the meeting, social media posts circulated encouraging people to "wear black to show unity," and many attendees, including Councilwoman Teresa Watkins Brown from Ward 1, complied. Brown appeared in a presentation video dressed in all black, alongside cameos from Mayor Anderson and other residents.
Like the rest of the attendees, Brown had to wait through two and a half hours of other agenda items before the one many had come to support: a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Lee County Black History Society and the city to create an African American Cultural Center.
The presentation began with a video in which architect Ted Sottong explained the vision for the project: "As you're coming down Martin Luther King Boulevard, you're going to see it off in the distance. It doesn’t look like anything else around it."
The design of the three-story building was intentional, with visibility as a key factor. The first floor would house an art gallery with glass walls facing the street. The second floor would offer community space for events and performances. The third floor would feature production studios for music, podcasts, and photography.
After the video, Assistant City Attorney Amanda Browning Richardson explained that the memorandum was merely a "stepping stone" toward an official contract. The proposed arrangement was that the city would provide funding for construction, while the Black History Society would cover operating costs.
Councilwoman Terolyn Watson expressed strong support for the project, stating, "It's been a long time we've been talking about the actual Black Culture Center. So, I think what we should do is approve this today, because it's going to happen. It's going to happen."
However, Councilman Fred Burson raised a common concern: "What is the financial obligation on behalf of the city?"
The answer was both straightforward and complex: an estimated $12.8 million, with no identified funding source. The city would need to borrow to fund the project. After additional discussions and deliberations, the council unanimously approved the measure.
For Charles Barnes, board chairman of the Lee County Black History Society, the project represented more than just a building. It symbolized recognition for a community that had often felt overlooked in development plans.
"I was born and raised here, I can’t wait to drive down that corridor and see something like that built to represent our community," Barnes said. "They keep talking about Midtown projects, development here, but no one talks about developing that corridor in our community."
With the vote, Roberto Clemente Park on Martin Luther King Boulevard may soon have what Barnes and others have long envisioned: "So to have that facility there, we end up being a part of the whole cultural circuit downtown."
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