By a 1-vote margin, Fort Myers City Council approved moving ahead with funding for the development of a historic Dunbar neighborhood landmark yesterday (Monday, June 2, 2025).
Voting in favor of allocating $4.2 million to the City of Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency for the project were Councilperson Teresa Watkins Brown, Councilperson Terolyn Watson, Councilperson Darla Bonk, and Mayor Kenneth Anderson.
Voting against the measure, Councilperson Diana Geraldo, Councilperson Liston Bochette, III, and Councilperson Fred Burson.
Citizens who turned out for the meeting in support of revitalizing McCollum Hall were clearly pleased with the result, erupting in cheers.
Public comment leading up to the vote was passionate in its demonstration of just how much Mc Cullom Hall means to the Dunbar community.
The Reverend James C. Gibbons, pastor of Mount Olive AME Zion Church, directly addressed Councilmember Diana Giraldo before she cast her "NO" vote:
“I say to the Councilwoman, who have I've never met, in Ward 2, you owe us your support. For the people behind us, behind me, supported your candidacy. Now it's time for you to cash in the check. Give to the Dunbar community what it deserves.”
Despite expressing skepticism before voting “YES”, after the vote, Mayor Kevin Anderson was compelled to clarify exactly what the approval means:
“This is a commitment on the part of the city to work with the CRA to see this building, this project get completed. This is not giving the current developer 4.2 million for him to complete it, right? But that's our commitment to you, that we are going to work to get this project done.”
After several false starts, the ball is in now clearly in the court of the City of Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency to do just that.