Architect shows updated McCollum Hall restoration and mixed‑use plans

Architect Jeff Mudgett told the Fort Myers advisory board the McCollum Hall project has entered a schematic phase that refines prior restoration work and expands programmatic uses. The plan would restore the historic one‑story building as a dining room (roughly 160 seats) with new kitchen and mechanical support in an addition behind the facade, and add a two‑story performance space and a two‑story multi‑use business building for retail or office tenants.

Mudgett said the CRA's prior land purchases give the team room to create additional parking and that he expects to find the remaining roughly a dozen required spaces through negotiated shared parking agreements. He identified a possible gap of about 12 spaces relative to the corridor ordinance and said staff and partners (churches, nearby properties) might provide options.

On schedule and funding, Mudgett described an accelerated path tied to a $1,000,000 grant from the Housing Authority that would allow a July 1 ground‑breaking if site permitting and civil engineering procurement align with the proposed timeline. "There's 1000000 dollar grant that's in play from the housing authority if we can be breaking ground July 1," he said. He described sequencing decisions that depend on whether one operator runs both the restaurant and venue or separate operators are selected; the team plans to pause final schematic work until a development partner is chosen through RFQ/RFP processes.

The board asked how the McCollum Hall program would relate to nearby cultural center work; the architect said the primary use will be live music with some small black‑box theater capability and does not foresee program conflict. The item was informational and no board action was required.