CRA approves plans for McCollum Hall

The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency recently approved the conceptual design proposal presented by Parker Mudgett Smith Architects for the restoration and adaptive reuse of McCollum Hall.

This approval allows CRA staff to proceed with the next phase of the project’s development.

Parker Mudgett Smith Architects was engaged to develop conceptual plans that evaluate potential adaptive reuse opportunities, building restoration approaches and site enhancements consistent with the CRAs redevelopment objectives.

“Preserving the past of this historic gem, and the future as a living, thriving community hub is important to our community,” said Michele Hylton Terry, executive director of the Fort Myers CRA.

McCollum Hall is a historically significant landmark within the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. redevelopment area and serves as an important cultural and community asset. The CRA has initiated efforts to restore and repurpose the facility, preserving its historic character while supporting long-term community and economic revitalization goals.

A dedicated website, McCollumHall.com, has been established as a central hub for all project information and to keep the public informed on project updates.

Built in 1938 by Clifford “Buck” McCollum, Sr., McCollum Hall was the centerpiece of commerce, music and entertainment in the Dunbar Community during the segregation era. A popular stop for touring Black entertainers on the Chitlin’ Circuit, its second-floor dance hall jumped to life when musicians took to the stage, including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, B.B. King, Dizzy Gillespie and Otis Redding. It is a catalyst renovation project in promoting redevelopment in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. redevelopment area.

McCollum Hall was named to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places on April 18, 2022. It is a site on Florida’s Black Heritage Trail. It is a catalyst renovation project in promoting redevelopment in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. redevelopment area.

Since 1984, the CRA has managed redevelopment trusts to revitalize designated areas in the City of Fort Myers. This reinvestment can take the form of public infrastructure, residential and commercial grant programs, public arts, affordable housing development, safety initiatives and historic preservation designed to reverse deterioration, support economic development, and increase property values https://fortmyerscra.com