Historic building opens with ceremony, reception

Historic building opens with ceremony, reception

By Angie Cook
Floridan Reporter  

MARIANNA — The conclusion of a city project some 10 years in the making was celebrated Thursday evening on Caledonia Street.

City officials, project heads and special guests filled the newly renovated Historic First National Bank Multi-use Cultural Facility to commemorate the completion of a work project that brings another offering to the municipality’s collection of public spaces. Distinguishing it from similar city holdings, which largely support outdoor sports and recreation, the downtown property serves as a link to Marianna at the dawn of the 20th century.

Built in 1902 and functioning as a financial institution well into the 1980s, the structure sat empty for years as the City of Marianna dealt with multiple owners in trying to secure the initial purchase in 2008 for just over $100,000. In the years following, several attempts were made by the city and its historic business preservation arm, Marianna Main Street, led by Charlotte Brunner, to secure grant dollars that would help refurbish the century-old building.


Project architect and former city commissioner Paul Donofro says the type of resources the city needed for the historic preservation work was very hard to come by in the wake of the 2008 recession. When funding became available again a few years ago and the city began seeing success with grant applications, dealing with the building’s problematic roof was the most pressing order of business. Then it was time for demolition followed by months of work to restore the historic building to the smartly appointed usable space that was unveiled this week.

Thursday’s ribbon cutting and reception were well-attended, but there were a couple of small potholes on the road to completing the roughly $600,000 project. Most recently, in February, the city commission split 3-2 over a vote to approve an additional $100,000, for a total of $250,000 in Community Redevelopment Area money for the project. With that last influx of money, the project moved forward.

Now the city has a multi-use cultural facility that has an open plan on the main floor, with office space upstairs, restrooms, a small kitchen area and some unfinished storage space. For the grand opening, area artists contributed works hung in the main room, mixing with elements of the building’s history, including a replica pressed-tin ceiling and original pieces of banking history like the vault door and a section of original ceramic tile that surrounds the night-deposit safe at the front of the house.

The building is now ready for renters looking to host a special event or groups needing a space for a temporary exhibit. The rental rate is set at $250 per day and $125 per half-day, plus tax.

Donofro admits there were a few challenges along the way, but he calls the project a success.

“When you look at the big picture, … we were successful in acquiring that building, preserving it and elongating its life, giving it a fresh face and a new purpose,” Donofro said.
“It’s always good to put one in the win category.”