Article One: Downtown Revitalization

St. Petersburg has its hands full with Baywalk’s bankruptcy, constant homeless presence and uncertain baseball stadium. According to a recent St. Petersburg Times article, vacant office space in downtown, is at a 10 year high.
Central Avenue, the heart of St. Petersburg’s downtown turns into a ghost town when it hits the 600 block.
The storefronts that originally opened in 1926 are now covered in graffiti.
The dust beneath the vintage Crisplip Arcade brick banner moves only when the homeless lay down their mats under its overhang to sleep.
Often the block smells like urine.
Only three years ago, the northeast corner of Central Avenue and sixth street was part of downtown’s hustle and bustle. The antique stores and boutiques drew foot traffic. Then, one by one they closed and a developer bought the property.
The plan was to turn the historic corner into a brand new $35 million dollar 15-story, mix-use condominium called 601 Central.
But that was before real estate along with the economy tanked.
Now the eyesore on St. Pete’s downtown may be turning a new leaf. Surrounding business’s like the State Theatre, Florida Craftsmen, and the neighboring bars banded together.
Studio @620′s Bob Devin Jones got involved in organizing an effort to use the space for art instead of letting it sit.
And when the city came to the property owner Thomas Gaffney, he said he had no plans for the site except possible demolition. But that’s when 620′s Jones sat down and started talking plans with Gaffney.
Soon City Councilwoman Leslie Curran got involved and began working with other council members to find a way to use the space for art. Curran, who ran on a platform of working to improve St. Pete’s arts and culture, wanted to incorporate the city’s elected official is pushing the process towards actuality.
Curran told the Times in May, “For now, I’m very happy that a business owner that owns that much property in downtown St. Pete that is completely bare and in shambles is willing to work with the city.”
Then in late July, the city revealed a plan. Artists would receive reduced rental rates on the vintage space, up to $5 dollars a square foot, in exchange for renovation by the tenants.
Devon Jones told the Times in July, “It’s like a Mitzmah.”
Councilwoman Curran has rolled up her sleeves to help with the project. These storefronts are filled with years of debri and decay. But artists see this as their chance.
Security deposits and fees would be waived, and rent wouldn’t be charged until the shops were able to open.
No leases have been signed yet, but over 50 volunteers have signed up for the project.
When longtime Tampa Bay investor Lawrence Smith* (he asked that his name remain anonymous) heard about the project in St. Pete’s downtown, he was immediately intrigued. Smith is starting a similar project based off of St. Pete’s plan involving revitalizing an old cigar factory in Palmetto Beach. Said Smith, “these kind of grassroots community building projects are important in these hard times and a lot of good can come out when people band together.”
Only a few storefronts down at 529 Central Avenue, a non-profit arts foundation for kids opened its doors with help from St. Petersburg’s arts community.
Pink Cricket opened with a goal to give kids the arts classes and skills they don’t receive at school. Sarah Turner, Pink Cricket’s executive director, sees the 600 block as a benefit to her business.
“It feels like we all have the same goals, to get arts into St. Petersburg,” said Turner,” And that dedication will spill over onto our kids and show them how important it is.”

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