Bonita Springs approves demolition of historic Goodbread Grocery building

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. —

Bonita Springs officials have approved the demolition of the historic Goodbread Grocery building, a structure that has stood for nearly a century and reflects an earlier era of the city’s downtown.

Mayor Mike Gibson said the decision was difficult, especially since he had previously supported efforts to save the building.

"I was one of the ones that voted on saving it originally and you know, I would have liked to have seen something done with it, but I can understand why we can't do it," Gibson said.

The building, originally constructed in the early 1920s as a grocery store, was later converted into a small restaurant café known as the Dixie Moon Café. It was moved in 2018 from its original location, now occupied by the Waterline Apartments, to the corner of Wilson Street.

Gibson explained that the building’s current location in a floodway limits its usability and that maintaining it would be too costly for taxpayers.

"Where it's sitting, it's in a floodway, so we can't really use it for anything other than just have it sit here as a facade, and it's gotten to the point to where it's just going to cost too much taxpayer money to keep it up and going, and especially you're not being able to use it," Gibson said.

Despite the decision to demolish the building, Gibson said the city is considering ways to honor its historical significance.

"I think we're going to, you know, pay tribute to it. But it's sad that we have to see it go. But, unfortunately, it has to," Gibson said.

No date has been set for the demolition, and city officials are reviewing master plans to determine what will replace the site.

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