Robert Terrell has witnessed firsthand the evolution of Fort Myers’ historic Dunbar neighborhood—from a once-thriving, self-sufficient community to a place he now hopes is on the cusp of renewal.
The 66-year-old lifelong resident fondly recalls growing up in the historically Black neighborhood during the 1960s and 70s, when Dunbar was filled with local businesses, restaurants, doctors, and entertainment venues that met every need of its residents.
“It was a very friendly, family-oriented neighborhood,” Terrell said. “We had everything. We didn’t have to cross the railroad tracks for anything.”
At the center of that cultural and economic vitality stood McCollum Hall, a legendary venue that hosted icons such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and B.B. King. For decades, the building has remained vacant, a reminder of both Dunbar’s rich legacy and the challenges the community has faced.
Terrell noted that the neighborhood’s decline accelerated in the mid-1980s, when crack cocaine took a devastating toll, leading to the closure of mom-and-pop shops and the loss of longtime residents who had anchored the community.
Despite years of setbacks and unrealized plans, momentum may finally be building.
On Monday, Fort Myers’ Community Redevelopment Agency will take a significant step toward revitalizing McCollum Hall by voting on a motion to authorize staff to engage Parker Mudgett Smith Architects to begin design services for the historic property. The CRA’s approach emphasizes a phased redevelopment strategy tied to available funding, with staff actively pursuing grants, gifts, loans, and New Markets Tax Credits to support the project.
For residents like Terrell, the CRA’s renewed commitment represents more than just a construction project—it signals an opportunity to honor Dunbar’s past while investing in its future.