Nearly 64 years after construction began on what was then described as "Negro housing," the low-income dwellings at Southward Village in Fort Myers' Dunbar neighborhood were demolished this week.
On Wednesday morning, the workers began taking down the squat, light tropical-colored buildings. Information from the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers described the project as "a major step of progression for the Greater Dunbar Initiative."
Contracts for Southward Village — listed then as a $1.6 million, 200-unit development — were awarded in 1961. At the time it was termed as "the largest building permit ever issued by the City of Fort Myers."
Fort Myers City Councilmember Terolyn Watson grew up at Southward Village and witnessed the demolition.
"It's very dear to me. Reason being that my mom lived on the Southward Village for 38 years," she said. "I spent most of my time here, all my good times, my great memories. The Southward Village is the first place that I've learned how to do everything. And that goes for riding a bicycle, just anything you could imagine a child has to do, I did here."
Watson said there was a real community feel to Southward Village when her family lived there. People looked out for each other.
"We did a lot of things together. We would play football against each other," the councilwoman said. "We were racing in the road. It just was everybody. If Miss Grassley would tell me, 'Tarolyn, you need to go home.' I'm home."
Watson said there were some sad feelings, at first, watching the demolition.
"I was about to get a little teary eyed out there. And when I was talking at first because, you know, it's just my emotions with it, with it being the place that I love so much," she said. "And, you know, all my great memories with all my childhood friends and growing up. So, you know, I feel, and I don't really want to use the word sad ... but I'm happy because the people are now getting something that they truly deserve. "
Those who were living at Southward Village have been moved elsewhere by the housing authority while the site is being developed. Of the 375 new mixed-income apartments planned at the site, 159 will be reserved for temporarily relocated Southward Village residents who wish to return.
"You know, it's been a little bit of a challenge. You know, just actually, you know, explaining to the people 'Hey, you're moving out, now we're going to bring something new," Watson said. "I want to make sure the process goes correct, make sure the tenants that used to live there, if some of them want to come back, they can come back and live. If not, you know, we get other tenants in there."
Watson said the people in the Dunbar community, the people in Southward Village, deserve to live in something that's nice, and different, and new.
"We need those things in our community. We need new buildings to live in, new buildings constructed," she said.
The demolition Wednesday was not the first time housing at the site has been torn down. The area was described as Dunbar Heights in an early 1960's story in the Fort Myers News-Press.
The newspaper headline said "Shabby Rental Units In Dunbar Will Be Razed." The article went on to explain how a "sweeping facelift" would improve the area — which contained 700 to 800 rental units — with 200 units earmarked as "unfit for human habitation" and 200 new units to be built in the Southward Village section.
The Greater Dunbar Initiative is described as a comprehensive transformation plan for the large-scale revitalization of the 37-acre, 199-unit Southward Village into a mixed-income community.
The Housing Authority described the project as one "which improves existing affordable housing units for residents while expanding choices, creating market-rate amenities, and adding new mixed-income housing to create a resilient and healthy neighborhood moving forward. The initiative aims to tie together market preferences, resident needs and community reinvestment to transform the community into an equitable, desirable and proud neighborhood that meets the needs of all residents."
Construction on the 466 mixed income, mixed bedroom size, apartments and town-homes will begin in the first quarter of 2025. Helping to start the project was a $30 million Housing and Urban Development grant.
David Mulicka, owner of Honc Destruction, the demo crew working the site Wednesday, said he was proud to be part of the revitalization of the village and described the work being done.
"We're going to remove all of the trees, the landscaping, the roadways, sidewalks and utility lines," he said. "One-hundred-percent complete down to a vacant lot, as it was 60-years-ago, to be ready to receive the new construction to rebuild."
He said the timeline on the project is expected to be about 90 days for the demolition, and about 15 days to clean up and grade the site to make it ready for others.
"So it's a fast-moving project, and we're excited to be part of it," Mulicka said.
Sandra Seals, vice president of property developer McCormack-Baron, spoke about the Saint Louis-based company's role.
"We are in the business of transforming communities like what we're talking about today," she said. "We work with residents, we work with housing authorities, we work with municipalities, and this is what we live for bringing new life to communities that have suffered from you know, some years of disinvestment, some communities that are just a little tired."
Seals also lauded local business' participation.
"Suffolk Construction is here. Tobler Construction, who was a local contractor here, just up the street, you see some of the amazing work that they're doing," she said. "So it is through these local partners on the ground that McCormack Baron can bring this amazing vision that was started by the Housing Authority and the city and the residents to fruition."
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