FORT MYERS, Fla. — Robert Terrell has watched his beloved Dunbar neighborhood transform from a thriving community into what he now describes as heartbreaking. He wants to see work done to McCollum Hall, which we should learn more about the future project on Monday.
The 66-year-old Fort Myers longtime resident remembers when the historically Black community was self-sufficient, bustling with businesses, restaurants, and cultural venues that meant residents never had to cross the railroad tracks for anything they needed.
"It was a very friendly, family-oriented neighborhood," Terrell said of his childhood neighborhood in the 1960s and 70s. "We had everything. We had drive-in theaters, we had restaurants, we had clubs, we had doctors, we had the whole works. We didn't have to go over there for anything."
At the heart of that vibrant community stood McCollum Hall, a cultural landmark that once hosted jazz legends like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. But for decades, the historic building has sat vacant, becoming a symbol of unfulfilled promises and stalled progress.
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"It's sad to look at it, because I knew the McCollums," Terrell said. "That was the life of Dunbar, and all these big supers of BB King, all of them used to come here."
He said the decline began in the mid-1980s when crack cocaine devastated the area, Terrell recalled. Mom-and-pop stores closed, seniors passed away, and the community's economic foundation crumbled.
"The old mom-and-pop stores were getting torn down, and that was a big part of our community," he said. "Crack came through here and just destroyed this place."
Now, after years of presentations and broken promises from city officials and developers, the Community Redevelopment Agency is taking another step toward rehabilitating McCollum Hall.
On Monday, the CRA will vote on a motion to authorize staff to engage Parker Mudgett Smith Architects to initiate design services for the property. The project would be structured for phased implementation based on funding availability, with staff directed to pursue grants, gifts, loans, and New Markets Tax Credits.
For Terrell, who has heard similar promises for 15 years, cautious optimism is tempered by experience.
"I want to be 100% with them. But see, I've seen it over the years. the same talk, the same going through the courts," he said. "We're going to do this, we're going to do that. We have this, we have that, but there's no work being done on it."
Despite his skepticism, Terrell believes the community must show up in numbers to make their voices heard. He envisions McCollum Hall restored as an entertainment venue with a restaurant, bringing back the cultural vibrancy that once defined the neighborhood.
"They can stand up and push, you know? They can stand up and make their voice heard," Terrell said about community involvement. "The people should press them. The people should just, hey, look, what are you guys doing?"
Terrell emphasizes that meaningful change requires more than the usual 20 to 50 people who typically attend community meetings. He's calling for multiple generations to unite, regardless of race, to advocate for the neighborhood's future.
"We need more people, more people, whether you were born here or not," he said. "If you live in this community, you would want to see it better."
Walking through his old neighborhood on Price Avenue, where he grew up among fruit trees and close-knit families, Terrell feels the weight of loss.
"It hurts, because we had houses on both sides," he said, looking at vacant lots where homes once stood. "Everybody looked out. everybody knew, everybody."
Yet Terrell remains hopeful that the growth happening elsewhere in Fort Myers can reach his community, too. He sees new houses being built and wants businesses to follow.
"i like to see all this growth around us that's happening now," he said. "i want it to happen here."
As Monday's CRA meeting approaches, Terrell plans to attend and encourages others to join him. He believes the community's future depends on residents standing together and demanding action.
"We as people together, we need to stand together," he said. "Let your voice be heard loud and clear."
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