Palmetto CRA Hosts First Dinner and a Movie at Sutton Park

The next Movie in the Park, DreamWorks animation Puss in Boots, is scheduled for May 4, and the Palmetto Community Redevelopment Agency is adding dinner to the already popular event.

The Palmetto Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) will serve dinner Hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and drinks will be sold at affordable rates to guests from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in an effort to raise money for a building restoration on the historic National Guard Armory structure, which serves as headquarters for the VFW.

Palmetto CRA staff has been working for about a year to get the armory listed on the National Register of Historical Places. How the historical integrity of the building has been maintained in its 75 years of existence is one facet considered in the qualification. Little has changed on the exterior of the building, located on the corner of Sixth Street and Ninth Avenue.  The VFW was urged to paint, board-up and block-in the windows over the years to protect them from vandalism. This mending has taken away from the overall appearance.

One way the CRA can help the VFW restore their building is with the Store Front Grant Program. Part of the new CRA plan provides assistance to commercial property located within the CRA district by funding a portion of an applicants cost for exterior, non-structural improvements that increase the building’s aesthetic appeal. While the funds are limited to $50,000 and must be matched by the business owner, CRA staff members believe the armory refurbishment would be financially feasible, through a combination of fundraising efforts and storefront grant.

Interested businesses can apply for the program, or sign up to sell food at one of the “Movie in the Park” events by calling 941-723-4988.

The Movie in the Park event is held on the first Friday of every month and is free to the public. Free popcorn and drinks are provided to attendees. It is sponsored in part by Waste Management.

 History of the Armory:

Florida was the first state to organize its militia, creating the 1st and 2nd Regiments. The state funded active-duty pay, training camps and a state arsenal, while federal funds provide equipment and uniforms. When Company I was formed in Palmetto in 1923, it had no dedicated building in which to house its administrative functions, conduct drills, or store equipment and materials, so the city council found room in the second floor of the city hall building, from which the unit operated for fourteen years. In 1935, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was established in Florida. At some point after the WPA built a school gym for Palmetto High School, a request was submitted for construction of a National Guard armory. 

Construction of the armory began in the fall of 1936 and was completed in August of 1937. The $30,000 building was dedicated in October with a community reception and open house, American Legion flag presentation, dedication ceremony and a ball that lasted until midnight. 

The Palmetto National Guard armory was designed to accommodate community events, as well as military activity.  The two-story brick building had offices and other rooms downstairs, along with a kitchen, restrooms and showers. The upstairs consisted of one large room that included basketball goals, a small bandstand and seating along the walls. In addition to military drill and training, the multi-purpose second floor could accommodate dances, concerts, sports and other activities and anecdotal and written evidence indicate the armory was used for many community events, as well as to directly support important civic functions when needed. It filled a vital civic need during its 25 years as a National Guard armory.

What is arguably the biggest community use of the Palmetto Armory came in 1954, when a very active Jaycees brought the “Bobby Lord radio and television show, talent search and dance” to town on Saturday nights, during a run that lasted approximately one year.  In 1962, the National Guard moved into a new facility on 14^th Avenue and the VFW has been in the old armory ever since.