The latest redevelopment (REDEV) news for you!

McCollum Hall gets a new name and logo by new developer

Proposed rendering for McCollum Hall and new apartments, THIRTY8 Collective and THIRTY8 Flats.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (October 28, 2022) — At the June 22, 2022 Board of Commissioners meeting, the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) voted to approve Goshen + Cornerstone, LLC as the new developer for McCollum Hall for the restoration, purchase or lease and management of the McCollum Hall property located at 2701 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Fort Myers. Alexander Goshen + Cornerstone Strategic Partners, LLC, developers of McCollum Hall, have announced the historic building will be renamed THIRTY8 Collective.

Goshen + Cornerstone, LLC’s proposal included developing a 26-unit multi-family community and 14,200 of commercial retail space at the existing McCollum Hall structure and adjacent parcels. The retail space will be used as a market/food hall.

The food and market hall will accompany a residential community, THIRTY8 Flats. The new name is an homage to 1938, the year McCollum Hall was built.

Community members are invited to the hall at 2701 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Fort Myers on November 12, 2022, from 11 AM–6 PM to attend an engagement event to celebrate the new name and participate in listening sessions to discuss the changes.

“We want THIRTY8 Collective to be a place for everyone to feel welcome and enjoy,” said Leonard Burke, Managing Partner, Cornerstone Strategic Partners, LLC. “Our top priority is listening to the community and preserving the site’s history.”

The event will engage the Dunbar community around the topic of the McCollum Hall project, giving residents a chance to share thoughts, ideas, and feedback. It will include a kid’s area with bounce houses, face painting, and snow cones; food trucks; local vendors; CPR and first-aid training; and more.

“This community engagement event is perfect for hearing from community about their wishes and desires so that THIRTY8 Collective will be something the Dunbar community and the City of Fort Myers is proud of,” said Executive Director, Fort Myers CRA, Michele Hylton-Terry, who has worked to restore McCollum Hall since 2007. “Their vision aligns well with the desired outcomes of the CRA and the City, with the goal of building a well-designed community activator project that lends itself to the character and fabric being woven by all of the CRA.”

“We envision a collaborative design process, where the CRA, City and other stakeholders can participate and provide input in the selection of material, colors, and other design elements said Miles Alexander III, Developer, Goshen + Cornerstone, LLC. “Our approach always includes highest and best use, to maximize market trends and minimize public resources.” Alexander Goshen + Cornerstone Strategic Partners, LLC, plans include developing a 26-unit multi-family residential building and a 14,200 square feet food and market hall for the City of Fort Myers to enjoy. With multiple failed attempts by other developers to restore the area, Alexander Goshen + Cornerstone Strategic Partners, LLC, are confident they can bring the complex back to its former glory. Additionally, their goal is to establish THIRTY8 Collective to be an integral part of the community. Recently, the Red Cross utilized the site as ground zero to assist people affected by Hurricane Ian.

McCollum Hall was constructed in 1938 by Clifford McCollum, Sr., as a commercial center in the Dunbar area. The second story housed a dance hall whose stage hosted many famous Performers like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, B.B. King, and others throughout the 30s and 40s. It was a center for commerce, music, and entertainment and one of the few places Blacks and whites commingled during segregation. McCollum Hall has officially been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The last two developers were not able to raise funds for the project, so the CRA once again searched for a developer that could bring the project to fruition.

McCollum Hall has officially been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
For more information and updates on the development, visit thirty8collective.com.

Contact:
Fort Myers CRA
[email protected]
239-321-7100

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The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is an agency of the City of Fort Myers. Office hours: M – F 7:30 PM – 4:30 PM | 1400 Jackson Street, Suite 102, Fort Myers, FL 33901