TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The total price to fix up a store in the Greater Bond Neighborhood is now over one million dollars, and city leaders are getting antsy to find out what comes next.
Robinson’s Store was a grocery store that was walkable for those on the Southside who may not have cars. The city was going to tear it down, but opted to save the building for historical value.
But the price tag keeps going up. Just last month, the Community Redevelopment Agency voted to spend an additional $200,000 on the project.
That’s on top of the almost $900,000 already allocated, which includes a $250,000 grant from the state.
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The big discussion: What happens next? Residents suggest a grocery store, daycare or even a community center.
“We need to keep something to remind us of what our forefathers and those before us have done,” Rev. Dr. Gerladine Harris of the Greater Bond Neighborhood said.
The CRA board, overseen by the city commissioners and the mayor, wants to make sure it gets a return on investment.
“It’s going to take some footwork, some volunteers, some people who are really interested in doing something, not for investing for themselves, but for the community,” Rev. Dr. Harris said.
Staff had initially recommended the store be torn down, but the neighborhood association and others argued for its historical significance.
According to the CRA executive director, the project is supposed to be completed by June of next year after the CRA received an extension on that state grant.
The CRA, while run by the mayor and city commissioners, is legally separate from the City of Tallahassee. They have not decided yet what the building will turn into.
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