HAINES CITY, Fla. — Haines City is working to revive a once-booming business district.
Bennie Lee Prichett owned a bar and restaurant for nearly 30 years in the historic Oakland neighborhood of Haines City.
“I went into business in 1971,” said Prichett.
The building is now boarded up. It’s one of the many businesses that have closed over the years.
“When they started closing down, it made me feel bad. Things have changed a lot,” said Prichett.
Decades ago, the Oakland community had a bustling Black business district. Today, there are no businesses in the seven-block area along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Way.
“We’re having to go downtown for those business, and some of our elderly, who really are the majority here, can't get to those stores,” said Lekia Johnson with Haines City’s Community Redevelopment Agency.
A historical marker describes what the neighborhood was like in its heyday. It included restaurants, grocery stores, and a movie theater. The Community Redevelopment Agency is discussing plans to rebuild the Oakland neighborhood business district.
CRA is asking community members to bring their ideas to the “MLK Our Way meeting” and help restore the once robust business district.
“Having something that you can call your own. We want to bring that back. Bring that pride back that Oakland used to have,” said Johnson.
The meeting is being held Wednesday at the Oakland Neighborhood Center from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
