Turning historic McCollum Hall in Fort Myers into a mixed-use development with co-working space and a restaurant is not only commercially viable but represents an opportunity for cultural and community revitalization.
That was one of the findings from a feasibility analysis done with the help of AI by the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency. The results will be discussed at Wednesday’s Fort Myers CRA meeting.
HOW DID WE GET TO THIS POINT?
The city cut ties in July with the developer, Alexander Goshen and Cornerstone Strategic Partners LLC, after the developer asked the city for $4.2 million to help with the project. The developer’s plan was to turn the 14,200-square-foot downstairs into a commercial food hall and grocery store. City Council decided, instead, to have the CRA come up with a plan for redevelopment.
McCollum Hall, at the northeast corner of Dr. Martin Luther King and Cranford Avenue, was built in 1938. It was the center of the Dunbar community, with shops on the first floor.
The second floor was used as a music venue and a stop on the “Chitlin Circuit” for black musical acts such as Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. They would play to black and white audiences separated by a rope line. The building is on the National Registry of Historic Places.
The CRA took over the property in 2008 and has spent more than $2.8 million over the years. The building’s façade received a facelift thanks to a state grant in 2016.
INVOLVE THE DUNBAR COMMUNITY
Listening to the members of the Dunbar community is a must to make the project a success.
“Success hinges on early and ongoing collaboration with local residents and shareholders,” the report said.
It recommended a community advisory board be established.
The CRA has set up a website, mccollumhall.com, to keep the community updated and has scheduled three community meetings, Thursday, September 4 at 6 p.m.; online only Thursday, September 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Thursday, September 30, at 6 p.m.
MORE THAN JUST A COMMERCIAL BUILDING
The analysis called the project an act of cultural revitalization. “A purely commercial approach may fail to capture this essence; the new uses must be thoughtfully integrated with the cultural narrative, perhaps through interpretive displays, community-oriented programming or a focus on local cuisine and art, to fully honor the building’s legacy and ensure its acceptance by the community it once served.”
It asks how can the rope line be used as a “poignant design element that can confront the past rather than erase it.”
SHOUD THE CRA GO IT ALONE?
The analysis recommends the CRA find a private developer to help with the project. The private partner could leverage the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit program. The federal tax credit would be the largest source of funding.
Several “Chitlin’ Circuit” venues and black cultural spaces have been revived.
The Hippodrome Theatre in Richmond, Virginia, built in 1904, was turned into a new entertainment complex with a restaurant and new residential building. The 100 Men Hall in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi became a music and cultural center. The Benneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum in Annapolis, Maryland, once a church, was turned into a museum. The Merchant, in Columbus, Ohio was turned into a co-working space.
The analysis suggests the project be done in phases:
- Phase I, 6-12 months, should include finding a private partner, assess the condition of McCollum Hall and submit for the tax credit.
- Phase 2, 12-18 months, would include design and engineering.
- Phase 3, 18-24 months, would include construction.
READ THE 15-PAGE FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS
https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/3553796/The_Hall_Revitalization_Project_A_Feasibility_Analysis_for_McCollum_Hall__Fort_Myer.pdf
HOW TO WATCH WEDNESDAY’S MEETING
9 a.m. on the second floor of City Hall, 2200 Second St. or watch it live at https://cityftmyers.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=2
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