HAINES CITY, FL — Haines City leaders are taking steps to revive a historic business district in the Oakland community.
Eleventh Street, now Martin Luther King Way, was once a thriving area for African Americans. In the 1950s, there was a movie theater, an ice cream parlor, along with dozens of shops and restaurants.
What You Need To Know
- Haines City leaders are taking steps to revive a historic business district in the Oakland community
- 11 Street, now Martin Luther King Way, was once a thriving area for African Americans
- In early February, the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency announced they would invest in the revitalization of the historic Oakland district
“When I first got the place, it was pretty good,” said retired business owner Bennie Prichett. He owned a club and restaurant on 11th Street. “Down the line, it got a little worse. Things changed.”
An economic downturn in the mid-1980s shuttered many businesses. Other business owners like Prichett retired. The street lost its luster.
“We need to pass the baton,” said Lekia Johnson of the Haines City Community Redevelopment Agency.
In early February, the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency announced it would invest in the revitalization of the historic Oakland district. The first step includes hiring a consultant who specializes in the revitalization of black-owned businesses.
Many residents are happy to hear the city wants to help bring the area back to what it used to be. Prichett’s son Gregory said the shop owners were a vital part of the community.
“They played a role in our upbringing,” said resident Gregory Prichett “They were like a second father or a second mother. So that’s what I remember as a child growing up with all these businesses in the community.”
The city hopes to hire a consultant by the spring.
City leaders said they plan to keep the community informed throughout the entire process.
