SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL — Construction that will transform the former Robinson Grocery Store in Tallahassee’s Bond neighborhood into a community resource center is underway.
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Work begins to transform the former Robinson Grocery Store into a Tallahassee community resource center
After years of delays and community pushback, work has started on the former Robinson Grocery Store in Tallahassee’s Bond neighborhood.
Back in 2021, the city purchased the building with plans to preserve its history and bring new life to the South Tallahassee area. For years, the future of the building remained uncertain, and at one point, demolition was on the table.
Neighbors pushed back, calling the building a piece of Bond community history that needed to be preserved and utilized positively going forward.
“Anytime we can preserve and restore historical landmarks significant to the African-American community, I think that is a very positive thing,” one person said.
Community activist & minister Delaitre Hollinger was among those advocating for the building’s preservation.
“We don’t want to go back to what Robinson’s was in the late 90s, early 2000s with the crime element. We want something that’s going to be positive for the youth and something that’s going to be positive for the Tallahassee community as a whole,” Hollinger said.
Since the purchase, the project has faced delays as city leaders and the Community Redevelopment Agency worked to finalize plans and funding. Officials say funding has now reached more than $800,000.
That includes a $250,000 grant from the Florida Division of Historical Resources matched by $250,000 from the CRA. An additional $302,000 was requested by the Bond Community Action Team, along with a $200,000 request from the CRA director.
Now, construction activity is visible at the site on Holton Street, marking the first real signs of progress since the purchase. Community members say they want to see the building return to a use that directly serves residents.
“What the community really wants here is a heritage and resource center, a resource center where the neighborhood can come, where people can have different types of resources. This community being a food desert is just one thing,” Hollinger said.
Officials have not announced a final completion date. However, one community member I spoke with said seeing work begin is a step forward after years of waiting.
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