Preservation grant approved; community divided on future plans for Robinson's Grocery

For years, Bond community members and city leaders have worked to save the historical south side landmark formerly known as Robinson's Grocery Store.

Discussions regarding how the storefront should be addressed – either through historical preservation or having it completely replaced with a new structure – have fueled those visioning sessions.

The city’s purchase of the property at Holton and Osceola streets in 2019 was considered the first step in the city and residents having control of the property and its future use. It also meshed with the city’s hefty financial investment in the noted southside community.

But five years after the $226,503 purchase of the property, moving forward with a vision that appeases both residents and the city's budget watchdogs remains tension-filled. The latest episode occurred during the Feb. 1 meeting of the Community Redevelopment Agency where city commissioners listened to what options they had in moving forward.

Here's what was at stake: The CRA bought the property but later found that addressing structural issues at the 1,552 square foot building may cost more than it would to instead renovate the property.

At the request of a community leader, the city applied for a historic preservation grant of $500,000, but by accepting the grant it would mean maintaining the historic elements of the building. It would also require the city to invest $250,000 in matching dollars, and to commit a substantial amount of money to ensure the building remains sustainable.

After a sometimes-testy hour-long discussion involving comments from nearly a dozen residents on Feb. 1, commissioners voted 4-1 to accept the Special Category Grant from the Florida Department of State Historic Resources Division.

The vote indicated the commissioners' agreement to follow the wishes of those in attendance who pushed for the preservation of the storefront to create a neighborhood resource center.

But that vote didn’t come without backlash from at least one well-rooted Bond advocate who feels that any use of the building that doesn’t address the immediate relief to the existing food desert and other growing concerns will be an exercise in futility.

City Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox agreed with that assessment, but then sided with commissioners Curtis Richardson, Jeremy Matlow and Jack Porter, in agreeing with those insisting on turning the landmark into what would be recognized as the “Bond Community Heritage and Resource Center."

The lone dissenter was Mayor John Dailey, whose vote was based on his concerns over the city's ability to commit to long-term stability of preserving the cultural landmark.

“Until we have a solid game plan, I cannot vote in clear conscience to limit this board's ability, from a business standpoint, for accepting historic preservation dollars which locks us in, and locks us into a higher price of preservation and restoration that we don’t even know at this point,” Dailey said.

But to understand the current tension, it's important to understand the history of the project.

How did we get here?

According to documents, the years-long discussions started after the Bond Community Action Team, a resident-led initiative focused on community revitalization, asked the CRA to buy Titi Convenience Store, formerly known as Robinson’s Grocery Store, in December 2019. Residents deemed it an “area of concern for community safety in the Bond community.”

The CRA purchased the grocery store for $226,503. An assessment of the building's conditions followed shortly after. Specialists discovered the structural elements needed to be replaced along with a long list of repairs.

The consultants estimated that the price of the structural repairs could exceed the actual value of the property by 50%.

Following meetings with the city's Neighborhood Affairs division, the Housing and Community Resilience staff, and CRA staff, an agreement was reached to demolish the building and work to identify future use for the site with the help of the community.

But that demolition agreement was placed on hold in 2021 after concerns from residents escalated. A request by residents to assess the property for the possibility of restoration was granted, ensuring that all options for the future of the property were surveyed.

In 2022, a grant opportunity was presented to the CRA by Delaitre Hollinger, a local preservation advocate, seeking its support for a $500,000 historic preservation grant, listed as a special category grant, to keep the grocery store structure intact.

What is the Special Category Grant?

The Special Category Grant is provided by the Florida Department of State's Division of Historical Resources. With the use of state money, it assists in efforts to preserve significant historic and archaeological resources.

The grant required a number of compliance standards to ensure preservation for at least 10 years. It also required a cash match of $250,000. The CRA was originally asked to provide up to $125,000 and the second half was requested from the Bond Community Action Team.

The CRA committed the $250,000 cash match for the grant.

In June 2023, the CRA was awarded the historical preservation grant. In January, the CRA received the grant agreement from the Florida Department of State Division of Historical Resources, but before the project could proceed, CRA board direction was required on whether they would accept the grant or find a different use for the building, leading to the Feb. 1 vote.

Best use for the former grocery store

Very vocal observers at the Feb. 1 meeting made it clear they are looking to preserve the storefront and its history; some residents specifically advocated for their hopes to utilize the space as a tech village and resource center.

Nearly a dozen community members addressed the podium, abandoning the folded papers and note cards they had clutched in their hands, to speak from their hearts. Personal childhood experiences and biblical analogies were common themes in the speeches, highlighting the nostalgic and cultural significance of the bright-blue property accented in citrus orange and agricultural green Florida A&M murals.

“I love the Bond community," one speaker said. "I think that we are deserving of a space to be preserved for the history of the neighborhood, but also a place for our young children to get homework help, tutoring."

Hollinger, executive director of the National Association for the Preservation of African American History & Culture, also was in attendance. “Move this item forward so that we can continue to move this community, Bond and the southside, forward,” Hollinger said.

Williams-Cox considered both sides of the discussion and shared her reservations on co-signing for the preservation of the building.

According to city documents, in December, the Bond Community Action Team recommended $302,000 from the Bond Neighborhood First Program to go towards the restoration of the Robinson’s Grocery Store. The additional funds brought the total available investment to $802,000 with the help of Bond enhancement money and the grant. The funds will be prioritized to stabilize the roof, bring the building up to code including ADA compliance and preparing the space for operational use.

“Is that the best use of a million dollars in Bond community? Is that what is needed most of all?” Williams-Cox said, questioning its use as a resource center.

Southside Tallahassee is considered a food desert with only the small Speed's Grocery on Floral Street serving as the main source for groceries in the immediate area. The closest supermarket is Piggly Wiggly on South Monroe Street.

“I too want to preserve our history, but I also don’t want to short circuit us on having a better life,” Williams-Cox said.  “We need to make it what the community really needs, which is a grocery store.”

But community members stood firm, and Williams-Cox ultimately went along with their request.

“If spending a million dollars in one building, in a community who has a food desert and many other issues that we are trying to work on, if that's what you want, I'm going with you," Williams-Cox said.

Matlow also sided with advocates at the meeting, saying “you can’t put a price on history.”

After the 4-1 vote passed to accept the preservation grant, CRA staff raised the question of what happens if the grant money is fulfilled, but the building is still not functioning.

CRA staff previously raised those concerns in earlier documents, stating, "funding we have estimated and secured for this project may not be adequate to complete all necessary improvements."

Talethia Edwards, a Bond resident whose advocacy has led to major improvements in the community, is frustrated with the board's vote and apparent approval for something that "does not aid the needs in the community." She cited those needs as food insecurity, poverty, mental health and substance abuse services.

"It is very disheartening to hear a conversation about having a resource center when we already have two neighborhood community centers," Edwards, former Greater Bond Neighborhood Association president, told the Tallahassee Democrat after the meeting.

What's next?

• The next CRA meeting, scheduled for 3 p.m. March 6, is slated to develop floor plans.

• The discussion of floor plans goes hand-in-hand with another discussion with the Florida Department of State to see if the contract's terms and conditions can be modified to fit the scope of the building's needs in order to make it fully functional.

Kyla Sanford covers dining and entertainment for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at ksanford@tallahassee.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Community divided on preservation plans for Robinson's Grocery Store