Conceptual renderings show proposed designs submitted by architectural firms competing to design Fort Myers’ planned cultural arts center at Roberto Clemente Park in the Dunbar community. Six teams presented their visions to a city selection committee June 30.
Fort Myers government
Six architectural teams are vying for the chance to design a cultural arts center in the Dunbar community’s newly renovated Roberto Clemente Park, alongside the Williams Academy Black History Museum.
Each team on June 30 presented its vision for the project to a Fort Myers staff selection committee, along with representatives of the Lee County Black History Society, in response to the city’s call for applicants.
The presentations offered a glimpse of how the cultural center could take shape. Designing and building the 12,000- to 15,000-square-foot structure may be a relatively easy task, some participants said, compared with fulfilling its intended impact in Dunbar.
“This is not a big project, but it’s a pretty big mission,” said Javier Salazar, vice president and design principal for RG Architects.
Hiring committee member and Fort Myers Grants and Special Projects Director Jessica McElwee agreed, echoing his remarks during staff discussions following the presentations.
Conceptual renderings show proposed designs submitted by architectural firms competing to design Fort Myers’ planned cultural arts center at Roberto Clemente Park in the Dunbar community. Six teams presented their visions to a city selection committee June 30.
Fort Myers government
The building is expected to serve as a community civic and education center that represents Dunbar’s African American heritage, a landmark presence and catalyst for economic growth along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and an anchor for cultural tourism that complements the Williams Academy Museum, McCollum Hall, historic churches, murals, restaurants and other points of interest.
“We see that possibility,” ADG Architecture founder Robert Taylor said. “And we see that this cultural center and (Roberto Clemente Park’s) development will be the genesis for all that.”
He added, “We believe this is a first step in a major renovation of that area.”
The three-member hiring committee scored the presentations and voted to recommend the highest-scoring team — ADG Architecture with Apex Companies (formerly Johnson Engineering) — to design the center.
Fort Myers City Council is expected to consider the recommendation at an upcoming meeting before making a final decision on the project.
Conceptual renderings show proposed designs submitted by architectural firms competing to design Fort Myers’ planned cultural arts center at Roberto Clemente Park in the Dunbar community. Six teams presented their visions to a city selection committee June 30.
Fort Myers government
The other five teams include FG+M Architecture; Solstice Planning and Architecture with Quinn Evans; Weston & Sampson with Stratus; Sweet Sparkman Architects with Self + Tucker; and RG Architects.
Their presentations featured creative renderings depicting the center as a one- or two-story building, with either a curved or straight facade, located directly on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard or set back within the park, in both daytime and rainy nighttime settings.
While many details remain to be determined, the design firms outlined a common set of features the center could include. Concepts featured flexible spaces with a lobby, gallery, auditorium and administrative offices. Discussions also included a rooftop gathering space, recording studio, cafe, outdoor landscaping and parking options.
Cost estimates for the project have varied widely over the years, ranging from $9 million to more than $20 million.
The FG+M Architecture team estimated the project could cost $700 to $800 per square foot, or about $9.6 million to $12 million. That aligns with a previous city estimate of $12.8 million to build a 15,000-square-foot center between 2026 and 2028.
Lee County Black History Society members said the building should become a distinctive landmark along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
“That building’s got to have curb appeal,” Vice Chair Lee Ford said.
They also voiced concerns that the structure could change the character of Roberto Clemente Park.
“Your job is to come in and add a building to something this community already loves, period,” History Society Chair Charles Barnes Jr. told the ADG team.
All six teams said they would achieve the cultural center’s mission through a community-based planning process.
Solstice Planning and Architecture suggested thinking of the center as a “living room” for the neighborhood.
Conceptual renderings show proposed designs submitted by architectural firms competing to design Fort Myers’ planned cultural arts center at Roberto Clemente Park in the Dunbar community. Six teams presented their visions to a city selection committee June 30.
Fort Myers government
“A building like this can communicate that the Dunbar community is valued, culturally important and worthy of investment, without losing its authenticity,” said Solstice founder Jonathan Parks.
City Council in May 2025 approved an agreement to fund the center’s design, construction and maintenance, while the Lee Black History Society would be responsible for the center’s daily programming.
Under the memorandum of understanding, the city would lease the cultural center to the Black History Society for 50 years, with a 50-year renewal option, for a nominal $1 annual lease payment.