FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 24, 2022) — The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is soliciting proposals for the restoration, purchase or lease and management of the McCollum Hall property located at 2717 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Fort Myers.
The request is for restoration of the historic building for a neighborhood commercial center with entertainment, retail, and dining establishments, or an alternative use consistent with the current Commercial Intensive (CI) zoning, or an alternative use acceptable to the CRA. The proposed redevelopment shall incorporate sound principles of urban in-fill, smart growth development and a sustainable redevelopment in planning, design, and construction.
Constructed in 1938 by Clifford McCollum, Sr., McCollum Hall was a commercial center in the Dunbar Community. The second story held a large dance hall with a raised stage for live performances by Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and others. It was a centerpiece of commerce, music and entertainment that attracted some big-name performers in its prime, one of the few places both Blacks and Whites went for entertainment during segregation.
“We are asking the marketplace for their best effort in seeking a ‘best value’ solution to the requirements,” said Executive Director, Fort Myers CRA, Michele Hylton-Terry, who has worked to restore McCollum Hall since 2007.
The last two developers were not able to raise funds for the project, so the CRA is once again searching for someone who can.
“Hopefully the third time is the charm because now it is on everybody’s radar and will be officially added to the National Register of Historic Places – so that’s going to bring more attention and more acclaim to the facility. The community deserves to have McCollum Hall back to its grandeur,” she said.
The proposals will be evaluated by an evaluation committee. Proposers should make their best effort to satisfy the requirements as a contract may be awarded based on the initial evaluation. It may be necessary to hold presentations with proposers about their proposals which will be done after the initial evaluation.
A mandatory pre-submittal meeting and tour will be hosted by the City of Fort Myers, Procurement Services Division at McCollum Hall.
Before submitting proposals, interested parties must obtain the solicitation documents by logging into the electronic bid portal at https://www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=31333
To be entitled for consideration, electronic submittals shall be submitted in accordance with the instructions of this solicitation within the time stated.
The CRA and City of Fort Myers reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and to waive minor irregularities and technicalities. The City of Fort Myers has established a preference for vendors, which are Minority Business Enterprises who constitute a present ability to perform the services and/or provide the goods and have been certified by the State of Florida Office of Supplier Diversity and whose principal place of business in located within the boundaries of Lee County.
The CRA Board of Commissioners is hoping to award a contract by early June 2022.
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About the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)
The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency was created in 1984 by the City of Fort Myers, Florida, under Florida Statute Chapter 163, to formulate a plan and strategy for the revitalization of the downtown River District.
The Fort Myers CRA has continued to grow, and redevelopment areas have been added throughout the city. Today, the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency encourages and oversees redevelopment in five designated areas that contain a total of 15 distinct geographic sections within the Fort Myers city limits.
The Fort Myers CRA, along with the City’s Community Development Division, prepares plans for the revitalization of each area and coordinates the implementation of the plan’s recommendations. Tax Increment Funds (TIF) generated by each area, combined with other funding sources, are used to upgrade the public infrastructure and to stimulate redevelopment in the same area where it was generated.
The Fort Myers City Council members, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency Board of Commissioners, oversee the Agency’s divisions and their operations. The Fort Myers CRA office is located at 1400 Jackson Street in the Downtown River District.