Neighborhood News Bureau

Category: NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Scenes from Sunday Service

This story also appears on The Weekly Challenger, the most comprehensive news source to the African-American communities of Tampa Bay.

By Annalise Anderson, Kristen Boehm, Julia Gennocro, Aliah Farley, Jessica Stewart, Malique Ferrette and Hannah Simpson

Like many aspects of daily life, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way congregations in Midtown gather, worship and nurture their spirituality. Following CDC guidelines, some parishioners have returned to socially distanced services in familiar sanctuaries while others are hearing the word from their cars in drive-in like worship. And still, others are watching live-streamed services from home. While similar in many ways, each church has its own personality, driven by music, pastoral leadership and the congregation.

There are dozens of churches in Midtown, some of them historic and grand. Others have opened more recently and hold services in small storefront spaces in strip malls. On March 7, journalism students in the Neighborhood News Bureau class at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg campus, attended services at seven Midtown churches. The vignettes they have written provide a glimpse into a typical Sunday morning there, made atypical by the pandemic. Despite that, resourceful church leaders have pivoted to continue leading the way forward.

Pinellas Community Church: In Masks, They Gathered Together

Pinellas Community Church is located at 1503 31st St. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Annalise Anderson)

Pinellas Community Church showed no signs of slowing down just before the 9 a.m. service started. Cars filled the grassy parking lot, masked church staff pleasantly greeted guests and the surprisingly large congregation filed into a socially distanced space of worship.

A small crowd grew around a concession window for complimentary hot coffee or tea to sip on during the hour-long service. Some returning and first-time PCC members mingled while masked in the sunlit courtyard.

Temperatures were checked at the door, where automatic sanitizer dispensers stood at the ready. Churchgoers were required to wear face masks upon entry; once seated, they were permitted to remove them.

Chairs were divided into sets of twos and fours, with each set placed six feet apart from the next. Most families occupied their respective sets, but some individuals shared seating areas due to the size of the congregation that morning.

Jeff Countryman, PCC’s worship experience pastor, walked the sanctuary, fist bumping returning members and introducing himself to new faces.

The service began promptly. High-tech cameras on tripods sat at the back of the room, towering over the chairs and capturing every moment for those attending Sunday service virtually.

Both in-person and virtual congregations were reminded that the day’s sermon was available for read-along via the official PCC mobile app. Prayer requests and offerings to the church were also available through the app.

Then, the room went dark and a multi-piece band played energetic modern worship music. Colored lights, smoke machines and an animated background made for lively praise as members of the congregation sang, swayed and stood with palms to the sky.

Once the room was filled with a heightened energy, Lead Pastor Mark Canfield took to the stage to deliver the sermon. Between colloquial anecdotes, Canfield’s talking points included “practicing Jesus’s way,” learning to silence life’s noise and caring for one’s spiritual health in 2021.

At the end of Canfield’s sermon, PCC staff dismissed the seated congregation by sections to avoid unsafe crowding. Visitors wished a blessed week ahead and were welcomed to return again next Sunday.

— Annalise Anderson

St. Mark’s Missionary Baptist Church: Finding the Strength to Start Over

St. Mark’s Missionary Baptist Church is located at 1301 37th St. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Kristen Boehm)

It was a new day, the first Sunday in a new month. An opportunity for change, for choices and for starting over.

It began not in the pews, but in the parking lot.

At 9 a.m., the Rev. Pastor Brian K. Brown stood outside the front doors of St. Mark’s Missionary Baptist Church. He held a microphone and spoke to his gathered congregation. Some were able to join him physically, parked in their cars, socially-distanced and safe. About 200 more were watching online.

Brown smiled as he led everyone through communion. St. Mark’s staff of deacons, dressed sharply in suits, masks and gloves, handed prepackaged communion cups (including wafers) out to the folks who were attending in their cars. Brown invited everyone to partake together.

“Can we say amen or blow the horn?”

Like voices rising up, horns echoed around the lot.

Around 11 a.m., the Sunday service began inside the church. Much fewer were in attendance live, but nearly 100 more were watching online. On this first Sunday, people greeted each other in the chat of the YouTube livestream.

“Good morning, family.”

“Good morning again my beautiful St. Mark Family. It is a blessing to virtually worship with you today.”

St. Mark’s Praise Team, which consisted of a three-woman choir accompanied by live piano and drums, stirred up scattered clapping and hollers from the few in live attendance, and ‘hallelujahs’ and emoji from the chat. Brown’s head bobbed to the beat in the background, just visible from where he sat behind his pulpit.

When Brown stood and delivered his word for the St. Mark’s family that day, he was continuing a series of sermons titled “Starting Over.”

He acknowledged that everyone listening has had a start-over this past year. He spoke of how in Exodus, the Israelites were given the choice between fear and faith. He encouraged his listeners to choose faith, to embrace change and to look for the sweetness in every day.

“The bitterness called COVID-19 has made things very distasteful to us,” Brown said.

Among the amens in the chat, one message read, “I thank God for changing me from sour to sweet. Thanks, Pastor Brown, for a reminder message this morning.”

— Kristen Boehm

Historic Bethel AME Church: “You’ve Got The Power”

Historic Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is located at 912 Third Ave. N, St. Petersburg. (USF/Julia Gennocro)

The singing voices of two men rang through the computer speakers of the more than 260 people who remotely attended Historic Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church’s Sunday service through Facebook Live.

At 9:16 a.m., the camera flashed on. Distanced across the room from each other, Gregory Porter and Ryan Kendrick led the morning worship on the piano, organ and drums.

Behind them sat three rows of red chairs where a vibrant choir once sang in union.

The video’s comment section was lively as the virtual churchgoers left warm welcomes and noted lyrics to the hymns that played as their way of singing along.

“Good morning Rev. Irby, Bethel family and friends,” Lolita Brown commented.

“Good Morning Historic Bethel,” the Rev. Dr. Patricia Smith Wallace wrote.

At 9:30 a.m., the Rev. Kenneth Irby entered the frame. He carefully removed his face mask before greeting the few in live attendance and those watching at home.

After a brief introduction and a few hymns, Irby stepped out of the frame and the Rev. Dr. Kevin Wardlaw, Alba Osborne and Linnell Baker each entered to deliver invocation prayers and readings from the Bible.

Irby’s sermon, “You’ve Got the Power,” centered around the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations, encouraging members of Historic Bethel AME to get vaccinated themselves.

“I’m telling everybody who will listen ‘take the shot,’ and if that doesn’t work for you, get the shot,” Irby said.

“It is a step of affirmation that you do have some authority, some power over your destiny. You have the power to preserve your health and to protect your life and the lives of so many others.”

The comment section flooded with “amens” and “hallelujahs” in response.

Irby moved on to talk about how “there is power in the unity of the community” and that it is especially present in Pinellas County.

He stated that people across all denominations have banded together under the common goal of getting community members vaccinated.

— Julia Gennocro

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church: Innovation Mixed with Tradition

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church is located at 3747 34th St. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Kristen Boehm)

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, Pinellas County’s oldest church, has turned to YouTube in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic to provide its congregation with safe worship.

Every Sunday, following the live recorded service, St. Bartholomew posts to their YouTube channel, giving members the chance to find salvation from the safety of home. The weekly videos have created a digital haven that leaves those tuning in feeling transported and reconnected to their spiritual community.

Opening with a long shot down the center aisle, the empty but brightly lit, heart pine-constructed nave filled the online browser as if to welcome virtual viewers to find their seat within the pews. The church bells tolled, and the service commenced cutting to a closer view from the third pew. The camera was strategically placed behind members to cultivate an immersed experience.

The background echo of the socially distanced, masked congregation reciting the chosen readings in unison transformed personal living rooms into an intimate sermon. Now focused directly on Father William Burkett as he stood behind a tall sheet of plexiglass to protect those attending in person, he preached his Lent service.

“This has been a great idea. Informative and nicely done,” commented Edie and Jay Racine on YouTube.

Alongside sermons, a weekly hymn was posted by organist and choirmaster Anita Bona, giving an in-depth explanation on the history and importance of each song. Following the brief introduction, Bona played the instrumental adoration in the empty church with the organ’s majestic harmonies cascading through the church’s Florida Gothic style arches.

Beyond taking an innovative approach to Sunday service, St. Bartholomew’s has continued to serve the local community during the pandemic with its food bank and thrift store.

— Aliah Farley

Circle of Faith: Connecting Through Love

Circle of Faith is located at 1310 22nd Ave. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Jessica Stewart)

The service at Circle of Faith began at 9:30 a.m. with peaceful hymns and a powerful message. Lead pastor Adam Gray spoke about the importance of unity within our communities and how we can transform change.

The Circle of Faith ministry promises to be, “a welcoming, affirming, diverse, progressive, nonjudgmental community of Christian discipleship and Service.” Located in the heart of Midtown, Circle of Faith aims to connect the community through love.

Gray spoke that morning as he usually would, preaching to those who attended in person the same to those online. His message rang true for unity, “the society of god,” as he put it, is how we all relate to one another, no matter where they were attending from.

“I have here flour, sugar, and water, all the ingredients to make bread– but they will never become bread until action is taken by the yeast,” he said, “the intentional action of adding yeast can create a beautiful change, a transformation from three separate ingredients into one delicious bread.”

His words brought out the heart of the Circle of Faith. “As separate members of a community, man or woman, gay or straight, black or white, doctor or GED student, these people would not typically mix in a society, but here they do,” he said.

He encouraged all walks of life to be the yeast, to work together with intent, so that as a society, we can stop separating one another and transform. Gray said, “we all need to catch this vision of making bread, then we will have the potential for all of our relationships to be changed.”

The service ran flawlessly, from the beautiful hymns sung to the extended prayers made for those in need, both virtually and present. The Circle of Faith invites people to come together on Sunday mornings, as they are, however they feel comfortable.

— Jessica Stewart

Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ: “A Fresh Start”

Elder Kieth Ash leading praise and worship at Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ. The church is located at 2230 22nd St. S, St. Petersburg (USF/Malique Ferrette)

At first glance, all seemed more normal than not as the Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ service was live streamed and watched from the comfort of a TV screen at home.

The program, despite being carried out digitally, made for an easy transition into worship led by Elder Kieth Ash and then into the “word” preached by Pastor William E. Anderson.

Skepticism became a reassured comfort as the mood was set through the fervent affirmations of the praise team that “it’s shifting.” This, a reference to anything that may be going wrong in life right now. Ash asserted that, “God has given us the power to speak to mountains and tell them to move,” as he went on to pray and declare this change.

One comment on the Facebook live feed read, “late night in the midnight hour. God’s gonna work in our favor!” Another; “Hallelujah thank you Lord!” And yet another; “Victory is mine!” Despite their attendance as virtual, people were moved. Worship was charged and lively.

Those presenting, singing or praying did not wear masks as they were socially distanced however, everso often other members who appeared on screen did have masks or facial coverings.

With a focus on the subject of “a fresh start,” Anderson reflected on a gentleman he met earlier in the week whose mask was dirty, and who needed food and complained that he had no money. Though he had helped by giving a few dollars to the man, he still felt “convicted” because he failed to offer the man an opportunity for a fresh start by introducing him to Jesus.

The sermon continued with references to characters in the Bible who found themselves in need of a reset and were eventually given one.

“God is more concerned with our future than he is with our past,” Anderson asserted as someone commented, “Preach the word pastor!” His point was to shift people’s focus on what God couldn do for them even now.

S.T.A.R.T was the acronym shared as the formula for a new start; S — stop making excuses based on the past, T — take an inventory of our lives, A — act in faith, R — refocus, and T — trust in God.

It was an immersive experience as their Holy Communion was taken after the sermon, final remarks were made and an overall invitation was given for membership in closing.

— Malique Ferrette

Campbell Park Community Church: We Are Not Alone

Campbell Park Community Church is located at 1035 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. S, St. Petersburg. (USF/Kristen Boehm)

Campbell Park Community Church has been conducting their services virtually each Sunday for the last year. Before the pandemic, recorded in-person services were posted on Facebook so anyone who had missed church could go back and watch.

Service began with a prayer from Pastor James Smith followed by Trust In You, a gospel song that rang out with themes of community and reliance. “You did not create me to worry, you did not create me to fear.” These words fell heavy because of the ways the pandemic has frightened us.

Smith started praying over specific people of the congregation calling out the names of those suffering from cancer and others who were sick. “We lift up all those who are sick right now before you,” Smith said.

After another song of praise, it was time for the sermon. The entirety of the sermon was intertwined with prayer intended to hand over worries to God. The congregants were reminded that they could not carry the weight of everything that has been happening in the world.

Minister Walter Brady highlighted scripture concerning the idea of predestination. He talked about what that means for Christians and used quotes from the Bible to point the congregation back to what predestination means for believers.

Brady also spoke on growth in a Christian’s faith and intimate relationship with God. He highlighted virtues that a Christian should be striving for and practicing in order to grow in their faith.

— Hannah Simpson

March 13, 2021
Sinking in Sewage

Downtown St. Petersburg viewed from the bay. Photo by Richard Boore.

Sinking in Sewage: Can St. Pete Clean Up It’s Act?

By Krystel Knowles

A sewage spill of roughly 200 million gallons of raw and partially treated sewage ended up the Tampa Bay area in 2015 and 2016. This incident brought to light that if something isn’t done to the infrastructure the view that makes St. Pete so beautiful could end up being something people run away from.

St. Pete may have been pegged as the first green city in the state in 2008 but now it’s looking pretty brown. Mayor Rick Kriseman signed an executive order in July 2017 to transition the city to clean and renewable energy. Despite those efforts, the popular vacation destination is making headlines for the wrong reasons. All over the state during large storms,overflowing sewage along with boil water notices have become the norm. Also water contamination at popular fishing locations is leaving people feeling unsafe eating their catch of the day.

According to court documents from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection VS City of St. Petersburg entered an agreement to construct and operate an additional lift station, (estimated cost $7.5 million). In addition to that, the City has to submit long term capital improvement plan to meet environmental compliance, along with routine maintenance of wastewater transmission systems and more. The documents state the city commits to spending 16 million dollars per year on an annual basis starting in July 1, 2018 until the year 2023 along with other very specific commitments.

So far, progress seems slow and just about every month the City St. Petersburg issues a wastewater or reclaimed water discharge notification. On Oct 15, 2019 about 660 gallons ended up in a manhole and ended up in Boca Ciega Bay. In September about 9.500 gallons discharged and 7,600 gallons flowed into Tampa Bay. Mayor Kriseman believes the continuous spills do not qualify as a crisis, according to his State of the City on February 23.

But for some politicians running in the November election, on Trenia Cox whose running to be a council member for district 5 seems to disagree. Cox says she would focus on the budget that would be part of the solution because by now the City’s spent about 360 million in this problem.

“I want to create an annual discount on utilities for creating environmentally friends households, perhaps change leaking pipes, fossil fuel reduction and things how owners can do to help. For renters, they can conserve water usage,” Cox explains “we may want to even consider re-opening the plant that closed.”

Deborah Figgs-Sanders who is running for the same seat, also promed to address the city’s environmental preservation and the water sewer concerns.

Another potential City Council member running for district 7, Eritha “Akile” Cainion, she says the sewage issue is not a natural disaster, it was man made and many of the City’s decisions have to be reversed.

“I would cap development because it’s straining infrastructure. The residents utility bills [were] raised, which is not the correct thing to do. We need to be taxing the developers and not the people,” Cainion explains, “They (developers) don’t have any interest in what happens to the city, if they have a stake in the city, they will invest in fixing the infrastructure.”

November 5, 2019
Affordable Housing Crisis Hits Hard in St. Petersburg’s Districts 5 and 7

Affordable Housing Crisis Hits Hard in St. Petersburg’s Districts 5 and 7

By Hope Garza

Mark Moore, a resident of St. Petersburg, Florida, experienced first-hand the effects of the affordable housing crisis. At 20-years old, Moore gained custody of his five nieces and nephews and found that even small apartments in St. Petersburg cost too much for him to afford.

Moore lived in uncomfortable housing situations with his family until he was accepted into the Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties homeownership program. He was able to build an affordable home of his own and provide solace for his family.

Another resident, Myranda Monroe, was living in a mold-infested apartment in St. Petersburg with her two children. Monroe was involved in a vehicle accident and had to return to work as a nurse, despite her extensive injuries, to support her family. Monroe believed she was out of options.

Upon being contacted by Habitat of Humanity, Monroe worked alongside others to build her own home and provide a safe, healthy environment for her children. Monroe’s children were happy to have a place of their own after the previous housing difficulties.

According to Ken Rush, Executive Vice President of Operations for Habitat for Humanity in Pinellas and West Pasco Counties, the concern for affordable housing is widespread throughout St. Petersburg.

“Specifically in Districts 5 and 7, which comprises most of south St. Petersburg, the majority of the housing stock is over fifty years old with anything new being built generally unaffordable for individuals/families either at or below one-hundred percent area median income,” stated Ken Rush.

Habitat for Humanity works to increase the availability of affordable housing in Districts 5 and 7, and beyond. The non-profit is also hoping to make change through conversations with local government.

“Candidates need to be able to address ways to help nonprofits and for-profits alike in ways to reduce costs, break down the zoning regulations and make the affordable housing agenda a priority for all of those persons who are adversely affected by this dilemma,” Rush added.

William Livsey, Vice President of Rent Control Coalition in St. Petersburg, also has concerns about affordable housing and commented on the inability for residents to afford housing without making upwards of forty-thousand dollars per year. Though there are available jobs for residents, but Livsey believes the cost of living is simply too high.

The Rent Control Coalition focuses on attending local events, hosting fundraisers and going door-to-door to gain the support of residents. One goal of the group is to put pressure on the city council to address affordable housing concerns. Livsey is proposing a one-year rent freeze for apartment tenants.

The City of St. Petersburg has a ten-year housing plan in place that will begin in 2020. The city hopes to accomplish a list of things, including developing additional family units for low-to-moderate-income households and allowing homeowners to remain in their homes by resolving code violation issues with city funds.

According to the City of St. Petersburg, “the largest and most impactful piece of the plan will leverage approximately $60 million of city funding for the construction and preservation of 2,400 affordable multi-family units.”

Stephanie Lampe, Senior Housing Development Coordinator for the City of St. Petersburg, is asking for candidates to continue moving forward with the current ten-year plan proposed by the city.

“Based on American Community Survey data, nearly forty-three percent of owner-occupied households in St. Petersburg currently spend over thirty percent of their income on housing and fifty-two percent of renter households spend over thirty percent of their income for housing. For low-income and senior households these percentages are even higher,” Lampe said. “This has an impact on the community since we know that when people have stable, accessible, affordable homes, their lives and health outcomes dramatically improve.”

On October 19, 2019, the democratic city council candidates met for an affordable housing forum in St. Petersburg. Candidates addressed public concerns regarding the housing crisis and presented steps they would take if they are elected during the November general election.

One of the District 7 candidates, Eritha Akilé Cainion, is concerned that the ten-year housing plan proposed by the city would take too long and believes there needs to be more immediate action taken.

“This stuff has to happen today because people are sleeping on park benches right as we have this discussion,” Cainion said.

One way Cainion hopes to address resident concerns is by eliminating the growth of additional luxury residences in south St. Petersburg.

“With all of the luxury apartment development that is happening, it brings up the rent of everybody else in those surrounding areas. So it doesn’t help anybody for those luxury apartments to be there except for the developers themselves and the politicians that work for them,” Cainion said.

Cainion is promoting rent control and has goals to make sure no residents in her district are paying more than twenty-five percent of their income toward rent. Her one-year plan includes making sure that any developer hoping to build in St. Petersburg shares her goals regarding affordable housing and is willing to invest in the community.

One of the District 5 candidates, Trenia Cox, is planning to approach the affordable housing crisis at a different angle. Cox has goals to focus on what housing programs already exist, provide residents with the details and criteria needed to understand these programs and work with developers to provide more affordable housing options.

“I am not for rent control, but I certainly am for having the realtors and developers come to the table…and see how we can do a balancing act. Because we want to make sure we have that fair share of housing for those that can only spend thirty percent [of their income],” Cox said.

Resources:

http://www.stpete.org/housing/affordable_housing.php

November 4, 2019
Recycling deficits in St. Petersburg Need Solutions from Elected Officials

Recycling deficits in St. Petersburg Need Solutions from Elected Officials

By Nageena Laing, Kelsey Knight and Karen Arango

The City of Saint Petersburg touts itself as being a “Green City,” mobilizing campaigns to support eco-friendly ventures, green movement initiatives, and reducing waste whenever possible. The city campaigns for all its residents to take part in the fight against climate change, including its recycling program, which mobilized in 2015. While these efforts seem impressive and innovative, the city is failing a number of its residents by denying them the ability to participate in the city-wide recycling pick-up program.

The neighborhoods currently receiving services in the City of Saint Petersburg are single-family households and condominiums with less than four units. Interviewing Jeff Donnel from the Sanitation department, he explained the average amount of participants in this group are about 65 percent, about 72-76,000 participants. This number sounds ideal, except it does not include the already large population of condominiums or townhomes in its services. According to a 2016 Tampa Bay Times article, condo development is the future of population growth for the city; land development becomes sparser while the city’s population continues to grow at a faster pace. In response to this fact, Mr. Donnel explained there should not be a problem for condos and townhomes who want to recycle because they can utilize the drop-off/brush sites throughout the city or hire companies like Waste Pro or ConEx to pick up recycling.

Drop-off Site Inconveniences

These solutions proposed by Mr. Donnel present a few problems. When speaking with a condo resident of St. Pete’s District 7, Ms. Kristin Reilly pointed out how hard it would be to drive once or twice a week to a drop-off location, considering work schedule conflicts with the operating hours of these sites and how far away drop off sites can be from condo or townhome residents. For Ms. Reilly, while her work schedule allows her to get to a drop-off site before closing hours, she lives at least 15 minutes away from the closest site. While looking at the city’s drop-off site map, there are only 2 drop-off sites in all of South St. Pete, which encompasses the entire District 5 and 7 communities. Ms. Reilly and many community members would have to drive that long or longer just to drop off their recycling. Ms. Reilly also pointed out the inability of many of her neighbors to drop off their recycling because they do not have a vehicle or are too feeble to do it on their own.

Recycling Costs

As to Mr. Donnel’s other point about hiring outside companies, residents who currently receive recycling services have a set rate included in their utility bill’s garbage fee. The fee overall is less than $28 a month for both garbage and recycling pick-up. When speaking to one of the outsourced company spokespersons, Tracy Meehan from Waste Pro, she stated how it would cost more for condos and townhomes to hire outsourced companies for recycling than if they were given the same services by the city. The incentive is not there for condos and townhome HOAs to hire these companies if the price is going to be more expensive than the low rate the city would offer.

The solution would be simple if the city could expand its program to include condos and townhomes, but Mr. Donnel explained this is not possible. The recycling company the city is currently partnered with, Waste Connections, is running at a monthly deficit and cannot expand its current program because it is already operating at full capacity. This deficit issue is not just a problem for the city of Saint Pete. There is a huge problem for recycling businesses all around the country. Almost all recycling facilities are operating at capacity with a deficit at the end of every month, and these companies cannot expand anymore because the auditing prices are so low, meaning there is not enough money in the industry for businesses to afford larger spaces.

China’s Policy Change

The money issue can be traced back to China’s 2017 policy change. According to Wired.com, up until recently, China had been buying about 40 percent of US paper, plastics, and other recyclables. The trans-Pacific waste route has now ground to a halt. In July 2017, China told the World Trade Organization it no longer wanted to be the end-point for foreign garbage since the country needed to cope with its own mountains of waste. Since January 2018, China has rejected 2 dozen different recycling materials, such as plastic and mixed paper unless they meet strict rules pertaining to contamination. The imported recycling must be clean and unmixed—a standard too hard to meet for most American cities. Mr. Donnel explained how this ban has caused a very low return for companies recycling anything other than aluminum and a change in revenue is not expected anytime soon.

Outsourcing Solutions

With no expansion in sight for the city’s current recycling program, it is imperative that our elected officials, in the upcoming November elections for District 5 and 7, take a hard look at resident needs and bring this to the table to discuss and find solutions. While there can be more than one solution, a suggestion at this point could be for the city to hire one of these outsource companies to service condos and townhomes and bill the same low rate to those residents. Either way, all residents deserve easy and equal access to St. Pete’s recycling program if the “Green City” wants to keep true to its name.

November 2, 2019
Progressive St. Petersburg… and its dividing line
Progressive St. Petersburg… and its dividing line

Lavish funding continues to fuel St. Petersburg’s dynamic downtown growth, while residents and business owners in Districts 5 & 7 come up empty-handed.

by Richard Boore and Kate Reuter

Downtown St. Petersburg viewed from the bay receives most of the City’s investments, leaving a few districts impoverished. Photo by Richard Boore.

There’s no doubt about it, the Burg is Booming! A sleeping giant has awoken, and the City of St. Petersburg boasts a ‘flourishing’ greater downtown area, as the City’s website reads “Revitalization of the downtown core continues with projects that include new retail shops, restaurants, research facilities, residential towers, craft breweries, and cultural facilities.”

Just this year, the city reported nearly 20 major new construction/redevelopment projects in play within District 6, (which boundaries include the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, extending from the highway to the bay, and from Old Northeast to Pinellas Point Drive South). Some of the more exciting developments published on the city’s website include projects like:

– Nearly completed, luxury high-rise condo building, One, crowned tallest building in St. Pete.

– An 8,740,000 square foot redevelopment plan for Tropicana Field, promoting “expansion” of Booker Creek, while “enhancing” Campbell park.

– An $87 million dollar budget (initially $50 million) redevelopment of the St. Pete Pier, “the city’s newest waterfront park and attraction.”

Breakthrough improvements are not only exclusive to our downtown core though. Gentrification and vibrant growth within District 6 have made their way up 1st Avenue, giving birth to unique localities with captivating names like “The Edge District” and “The Warehouse Art District.”

St. Petersburg, however, is not District 6. While city officials focus their attention on the main attraction, other citizens and community activists claim that their struggles and calls for support continue to fall on deaf ears. Bordering to the West and visibly set apart by I-275 lies District 7, while just south, on the opposite side of Lake Maggiore is District 5; both mostly segregated, low-income neighborhoods with a long history of exclusion and systematic oppression.

A string of shops and vacancies along Grand Central District off of 24th Street. Photo by Richard Boore.

It wasn’t long ago that Jim Crow discrimination was enforced in our city, and African American residents were held to the confines of South St. Petersburg. In fact, until the late 1950s, African Americans weren’t to set foot outside of their community for anything other than work. North Shore Pool was a “white only” pool. Spa Beach was a “white only” beach. Even the beloved and symbolic green benches of St. Petersburg were “white only” benches.

It is probably difficult to imagine segregation within the bubble of a progressive city like St. Petersburg; a seemingly racially integrated city, fueled by the arts and graciously supportive of its LGBTQ community. Unfortunately, the truth is, beneath the surface of St. Petersburg’s forward-looking exterior lies a sordid past of intolerance and disconnect that has indirectly been upheld through neglect.

The dividing lines that separate the boundaries of these districts are almost as visible on location as they appear on the map. Bordering the Grand Central District on Central Avenue and east of the highway, smooth sidewalks and freshly planted palm trees line the sidewalks. The construction of two brand new apartments are well under way, extending the length of two city blocks from 18th street to 16th. On the West side, not so much. From here, the road is lined with skinny oak trees, uneven and broken sidewalks and decrepit buildings; some of which are failed businesses up for sale.

A look from East to West down Central Avenue at the dividing line of districts 6 & 7. Photo by Richard Boore.

The city of St. Petersburg has developed an abundance of initiatives for grant money, including several CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) programs. These programs provide direct funding to homeowners, property/business owners and developers, designed to support the “three pillars” of the South St. Petersburg redevelopment plan.

– Place-based opportunities.

– People-based opportunities.

– Housing-based opportunities.

Grants are also offered through TIF programs (Tax Increment Funding), community reinvestment designated for redevelopment, revitalization, and improvement of private sector activity. This includes residential, commercial sites and housing developments. However, David Foote, Executive Director of The Grand Central District, explained that the area along Grand Central District is not eligible for CRA based opportunities.

“The way it is written now,” he clarified, “is that it can’t be used for Capital Improvement Projects in a District. It has to be used on properties,” Foote said.

Foote noted his frustration with the lack of distribution through CRA funding and added that the success and growth of the district over the years has generated a lot of revenue but the District is not getting the investment back from the City to help maintain it and make improvements.

“It’s time for there to be an annual revenue stream for capital improvement projects,” Foote said. “This is where the fight really needs to be.”

Frankenstein sidewalk on Central Avenue and 27th Street. Photo by Richard Boore.

Former House of Representatives Chair and active member of the Pinellas Board of County Commissioners, Kathleen Peters, is a long-time resident and community activist. Peters offers three crucial suggestions for members of each district to get the support they need.

Build relationships with elected officials – specifically non-contentious relationships.

Use data to justify the needs (eg job creation, or crime rates) – do the research.

Trust the process.



Peters acknowledged that the above may be tedious and frustrating, but she said, “it is necessary in order to have an outcome you can live with.”

St. Pete’s Economic Development Officer, Gary Jones, oversees TIF funds and has approved this year’s funding commitment to a couple of projects within the Edge district at an estimated grand total of $7 million. $6 million toward a public parking garage located on the site of the former police station and $1 million toward a streetscape project.

The FY20 budget proposal for St. Petersburg has capped out at $640,798,937.00 and has allocated nearly $3.5 million in subsidies to the Mahaffey, the Pier, the Coliseum, the Trop, Jamestown and the port, all of which are located in District 6. Most of the items on the budget are ambiguously categorized with titles like “park facilities” or “alley reconstruction,” but a number of sizeable community investments are identifiable, none of which positively include Districts 5 or 7.



While funding requests and redevelopment efforts haven’t completely been ignored in districts 5 and 7, the community seems to remain out of sight and out of mind. Grossly disproportionate funding is evident and neighborhood residents and business owners aren’t quite buying the claims of “progress.”



To the point, Peters also noted, “The city of St Petersburg has neglected neighborhoods and infrastructure for a long time and now faces a crisis,” specifically referring to major sewer problems that are currently estimated at $300 million dollars in a proposed plan to fix.

Raymond Smith, Grand Central resident and former owner of Grand Central’s Numex, closed the popular restaurant’s doors after two years in business. As a seasoned commercial real estate investor, he explains how other issues in these areas play a role, like safety concerns stemming from the area’s relatively high crime rate.

Living just behind the former Nitally’s restaurant on Central Avenue, Smith has seen his fair share of petty theft and other crimes right outside of his home, inclusively on his short commute to District 5, where he serves as a landlord for multiple Section 8 residences.

“It’s so bad. It’s a cycle that needs to be addressed,” Smith said.
November 2, 2019
Dispelling the Deserts: Communities Implement Their Own Solutions Against Food Insecurity in St. Petersburg

Dispelling the Deserts

Communities Implement Their Own Solutions Against Food Insecurity in St. Petersburg

BY THOMAS IOVINO

Bartlett Park Community Garden. Photo by Madeline Seiberlich.

Nearly 1,000 days ago, residents of south St. Petersburg lost access to something many of us take for granted – easy access to fresh, wholesome foods. That’s when the Walmart Neighborhood Market closed in Tangerine Plaza, located at the intersection of 22nd Street South and 18th Avenue South.

While something like this may seem like an inconvenience, it presented itself in a potent way to Wendy Wesley, a registered dietitian working at St. Anthony’s Hospital.

“I noticed that many of the clients I saw with chronic illnesses were not doing well. Those with diabetes, heart disease, obesity and kidney problems were getting worse,” Wesley said.

And, when she did some digging, she discovered that there was only one store in south St. Petersburg that was selling fresh produce.

When measuring public health and the quality of life in communities, many studies focus on commute times, access to doctors and disease attack rates. But, there is one more basic need which can get frequently overlooked, and that is basic access to healthy, fresh food. Not only is this essential to simply satisfy hunger, but a failure to focus on proper nutrition can lead to a host of health concerns including obesity, type two diabetes and certain forms of cancer. The areas around the country where access to nutritious, fresh food is limited are known as food deserts.

The United States Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define food deserts as areas that lack nearby access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk and other foods which make up the full range of a healthy diet. The distance from grocery stores varies according to how densely populated the area is. In rural communities, it is 10 miles. In urban areas such as south St. Petersburg, it is one.

In food deserts, fast food establishments and convenience stores provide less nutritious options, or more nutritious options at a considerably higher cost. These highly processed foods offer inadequate nutrient value, or provide too much sugar, fat or salt for a balanced diet.

“That becomes a problem when you address public health,” said Wesley. “If there are no healthy options, chronic health issues become an additional barrier, as people are unable to travel the greater distances, creating a vicious cycle.”

Registered dietitian Wendy Wesley instructs students about the importance of proper nutrition. Photo by Thomas Iovino.

Another challenge experienced in Pinellas County is an underfunded public transportation system. Without a light rail or subway system, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority is reliant solely upon buses to transport residents without a vehicle of their own. With an operating budget approximately one third the size of comparably sized transit systems, fewer routes and longer wait times between buses are the norm. Overcoming this transportation obstacle can prove daunting for most riders, who fall under a category known as ALICE – Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed – more commonly known as the working poor.

Finding New Solutions

Supermarket chains – the main source of fresh, wholesome foods in highly urbanized areas – have failed to set roots in areas which have been economically depressed. In Pinellas County, these areas include the Greenwood area of Clearwater, unincorporated Lealman and vast stretches of south St. Petersburg.

“In many ways, a lack of access to food is a symptom of racism and discrimination against lower income communities,” Wesley explained. “As businesses, they are more than welcome to follow whatever business model they wish. However, their model can negatively impact the health of the community they claim to serve.”

An alternative to the traditional grocery stores that has proven successful across the country is food cooperatives. These stores are both owned and operated by community members, much in the same way that credit unions are member-owned banking institutions. With the local community buy-in, and a model that seeks to provide employment for the community members they serve, food cooperatives can help fill a vital role in putting an end to food deserts.

Shoppers outside of the Midtown Plaza’s Walmart Neighborhood Market before it closed. Members of the People’s Budget Review offered to create a grocery co-op in its place. The idea has not moved forward, but it has been developed at Pinellas Tech in Childs Park. Photo courtesy of the Neighborhood News Bureau.

Communities of all sizes – from the 4th Street Food Co-Op in midtown Manhattan, to the Co-Op Market in Fairbanks, Alaska, where every kid who comes in to grocery shop gets a banana–are just a couple of examples of successful initiatives. The National Co-Op Grocers is an association of 148 Co-Ops across the United States, and assists member stores with operational planning, legislative assistance and other critical business needs. In south St. Petersburg, the One Community Grocery Co-Op, developed with the support of Pinellas Tech and the People’s Budget Review, has recently celebrated its first year of operation.

Students learn how to prepare a planting bed to grow fresh produce. Photo by Thomas Iovino.

Another old idea currently being explored in south St. Petersburg to help reduce the impact of food deserts is the establishment of community farms. The concept, popular during World War II to manage food consumption on the home front, was to plant a victory garden, where fresh fruits and vegetables were harvested and canned, freeing commercial producers to feed troops overseas. Given Florida’s mild winters and selection of heat-tolerant plants, community gardens can produce year-round, encouraging residents to take part in a cost-effective method of addressing this important concern.

Gardens located in neighborhoods such as Jordan Park, Bartlett Park, Child’s Park and the Enoch Davis Center not only provide fresh produce, but also offer youth leadership opportunities, culinary training and food systems education.

November 1, 2019