Preserve the 'Burg

This local project pulls together an impressive team of preservation experts to save and restore a historic Cade Allen home while building something that fits the rhythm and character of Mirror Lake.

“The developer met with city staff, met with neighbors, consulted with preservation architects, and has crafted a project that not just fits the parcel, but fits the neighborhood,” Preserve the 'Burg's executive director told the DRC.

New Mirror Lake Development Preserves Historic Cade Allen Home St. Petersburg’s Development Review Commission (DRC) approved an application at their September meeting to develop several parcels along Mirror Lake Dr., including the historic Cade Allen home at 250 Mirror Lake Dr.

Join us for a special porch party at The 1888 Hotel Thursday September 26 as we launch our Fall 2024 Preserve the ‘Burg programming.

Originally opened in November 1923 as the Hotel Hillcrest, The 1888 Hotel is a historic gem in downtown St. Petersburg. Designed by C.S. Moss and built by C.C. Clarkson in the early 1920s, this historic hotel features a distinctive hollow tile construction and stucco interior.

Now beautifully renovated, The 1888 Hotel has been meticulously renovated and restored to blend modern luxury with its original charm. Founded by Frederick Dela Cruz and Jeffrey Pippin, the hotel prioritizes an authentic guest experience, partnering with local artists and artisans to capture the true St. Pete vibe.

Celebrate history and modernity with us at The 1888 Hotel as we kick off an exciting season of Preserve the ‘Burg programming!

Use this link to register https://ptb.wildapricot.org/event-5855204

Image description: Front view of The 1888 Hotel showing its porch, entrance, and second floor.

"If cities had official shapes, St. Pete's would be the hexagon."

Did you know that hex blocks are protected as part of St. Pete's cultural heritage? Learn more about the (surprisingly interesting) history of the industry and what to do about damaged hex blocks at this link!

Image description: a flowering shrub meets the sidewalk that is made of multi-colored hexagonal paving blocks.

Here’s the story behind St. Petersburg’s iconic hexagon-block sidewalks Hex block pavers are protected by city code. We look back at their history — and why people love them so much.

Preserve the 'Burg is more focused than ever

In order to keep St. Pete special, we have to know what it is that makes St. Pete special! The recent study we commissioned from PlaceEconomics, "Keeping the Vibe Alive: The Impact of Historic Preservation in St. Petersburg" quantifies the St. Pete vibe so we can better protect it.

The data in this report indicates that what we want to protect is not just buildings, it's also the women- and minority-owned local businesses that occupy them, the affordable housing that is provided by existing housing stock, our ecosystem that doesn't have to absorb the excesses of construction waste from development, and more.

The report is available on our website, preservetheburg.org. You can also find the report presented on our YouTube channel. Regardless of how you view it, consider spending some time with this report if the unique character and charm of St. Pete matters to you.

We also invite you to become a Preserve the 'Burg member. If you love St. Pete and want to keep the vibe alive, we need your voice. Now more than ever.

Your membership supports Preserve the 'Burg year-round, while also giving you discounts on tours and other events.

Click on this shortened link to see membership levels and to join, renew, or upgrade.
https://conta.cc/3SQCnLp

Image description: 1st Ave N and 4th Street July 2024. A photo of St. Pete's open air post office in the foreground, Snell Arcade in the midground, and 400 Central under construction in the background.

Join us Thursday August 22 at 6:30 pm for a Twilight Walking Tour of the Old Northeast and Coffee Pot Bayou!

Old Northeast resident, historic preservationist and PTB Board member Emily Elwyn, leads this evening stroll starting at the Elwyn's beautifully restored 1924 craftsman/colonial home. From there you'll head to Coffee Pot Bayou, learning about the Snell Isle bridge, the development of Snell Isle and the surrounding community.

There are only a few spots left. Follow this link to register: https://ptb.wildapricot.org/event-5821500

Become a Preserve the 'Burg Member for early event registration, tour discounts, and other benefits!

It's hot out there! But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy St. Pete's historic waterfront! Bring your walking shoes, and your four-legged friends too, for an early-ish waterfront walk with PTB board member Maria Erickson on Saturday August 17.

You'll learn about the civic visionaries who transformed a working waterfront into one of the country's largest waterfront park systems.

Walking tours are $10 for PTB members. Guests and non-members are $20/person.

Tour reservations are strongly recommended as space is limited to 25 people. Register using this link: https://ptb.wildapricot.org/event-5821506

Thank you to the Northeast Journal for summarizing the findings of Keeping the Vibe Alive in this comprehensive article!

"Some assume that preservationists only want to save a building because of its history, or its architecture, and wonder if that’s a good enough reason. Keeping the Vibe Alive offers real data about how preservation benefits our city as a whole – data that can also be compared with other cities that have undergone the same or similar studies and show where St. Pete stands amongst them."

Read their article using the link in the bio or visit preservetheburg.org to access the full report.

https://northeastjournal.org/historic-preservation-has-positive-impact-on-local-economy/

Historic Preservation Has Positive Impact on Local Economy | Northeast Journal A new study commissioned by Preserve the 'Burg highlights the importance of historic preservation for affordable housing.

In a recent editorial for St Pete Catalyst, Larry Silvestri echoes the findings of our PlaceEconomics study "Keeping the Vibe Alive" regarding the risk to the city's unique character as, in Silvestri's words, "Downtown St. Petersburg is quickly evolving into a district dominated by newer condominiums and apartment towers."

"A key to that character is to have thriving local retailers and restaurants on the ground floor of these developments, up and down the block," Silvestri writes. As reported in "Keeping the Vibe Alive," the smaller historic storefronts like those on Central Avenue make this possible.

In 2014, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Preservation Green Lab published a report called Older, Smaller, Better that studied how the character of buildings and blocks influenced urban vitality. The study looked at collections of older buildings in three cities across the country and found that, on average, blocks of older, smaller buildings made key contributions to local economies by providing affordable space for a diversity of local businesses; create a vibrant atmosphere that attracts residents, shoppers, creative jobs, and other businesses; and perform better than areas with larger, newer buildings across a host of metrics. Our analysis on St. Petersburg’s Storefront Conservation Corridor, which includes a large section of Central Ave, aligns with these findings.

You don't have to consider yourself a preservationist to find something of value in "Keeping the Vibe Alive." Check out the full report at this shortened link https://tinyurl.com/52s2k4t5

We were honored to tour the historic Euclid Church on 10th Ave N this week! Owners Noam and Irene are painstakingly renovating this 1926 Gothic Revival church, which was named a Local Historic Landmark in 2004. It's great to see the adaptive reuse of a historic structure, and their love and positive energy is apparent the moment you step into this special place. Follow their journey at

Our blog post this month goes into depth about the benefits of adaptive reuse as detailed by PlaceEconomics. Adaptive reuse of historic buildings is the process of repurposing old structures for new uses while maintaining their historical and architectural significance. This approach allows buildings to be preserved and used in ways that meet contemporary needs, offering a blend of heritage conservation and modern functionality.

Results from planning firm PlaceEconomics show that around 85% of survey respondents felt that the adaptive reuse of older structures was "somewhat" or "very" important. Even respondents who did not consider historic preservation a top priority still thought adaptive reuse was important for sustainability. Among those respondents, 43.3% called adaptive reuse “very Important,” while another 33.3% called it “somewhat Important.”

Read more on our blog here:

Adaptive Reuse The adaptive reuse of historic buildings offers many benefits

Myth: Only preservationists (derogatory) care about the historic character and old buildings of St. Pete.

Fact: In a survey of a broad cross-section of St. Pete residents (full stats and methodology in the report), preserving the historic character, locally owned businesses, affordable housing, and ephemeral sense of place of St. Pete is important, all of which are part of the goals and reasons to support historic preservation. This is what you all have said! Love to see it!

Read more mythbusting facts about historic preservation in St. Petersburg in the PlaceEconomics report "Keeping the Vibe Alive: The Impact of Historic Preservation in St. Petersburg" at this shortened link https://tinyurl.com/52s2k4t5

Thanks to the Tampa Bay Times for highlighting the Princess Martha's 100th anniversary and celebration Thursday July 11! Notable guests at the Princess Martha over the years included entertainer Maurice Chevalier, poet Carl Sandburg and athlete Babe Ruth, who held court with sportswriters in the lobby. Read the full article here: https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/history/2024/07/09/princess-martha-st-petersburg-history-babe-ruth-don-cesar-vinoy/

Register to attend using this link: https://ptb.wildapricot.org/event-5781774
See you there!

Image courtesy Tampa Bay Times

If you've never been inside the Princess Martha, then you haven't seen one of downtown's most elegant interiors, and you are in for a treat. Join us this Thursday, July 11, to celebrate the Princess Martha's centennial anniversary! We'll provide light snacks and a donation bar, you provide some company and conversation! RSVP here https://ptb.wildapricot.org/event-5781774

The ~grande dame~ of downtown St. Pete—the Princess Martha—is turning 100 and we're having a party. Celebrate with us on July 11! Register here while spots are still available.

Preserve the 'Burg - Princess Martha Anniversary Porch Party

Peruse a few pages of this 1921 guidebook, "Seeing St. Petersburg: A Service to Visitors," published by the "Tourist News Publishing Company" and written by Evelyn Barton. (Courtesy of the Touchton Map Library at the )

Myth: An additional layer of regulation in a historic district (design guidelines, demolition delayed or prohibited, etc.) will have an adverse impact on housing values.

Fact: Residential property values in historic districts in St. Petersburg outperform those in the rest of the city.

Read more mythbusting facts about historic preservation in St. Petersburg in the PlaceEconomics report "Keeping the Vibe Alive: The Impact of Historic Preservation in St. Petersburg" at this shortened link https://tinyurl.com/52s2k4t5

Historic value = economic value.

St. Pete looks at how historic preservation impacts home values For Mark Carman and Charlene Greene, remodeling and upgrading their 1940 vintage home in St. Pete's historic Kenwood neighborhood has been a labor of love since they bought it in 2001.

This Friday, join us at Craftsman House for a closing reception and artist's talk for "Now and Then You Spot a Great Photo: Looking at St. Pete 75 Years Ago & Today."

In this exhibition Patricia Preston Mastry pairs photos that her father, Robert Preston, made of St. Pete during the 1950s with scenes of the same locations that she rephotographed more recently. The photographs capture how St. Pete has changed, and how it has remained the same.

Patricia will be giving an artist's talk at the event, and a portion of all photo sales will benefit Preserve the 'Burg.

RSVP here: https://ptb.wildapricot.org/event-5726443

Nearly two years in the making, a new report by nationally regarded consultant PlaceEconomics commissioned by Preserve the 'Burg reveals that more than half of the buildings along Central Avenue between 1st Street and 31st Street were built before 1960, and those older storefronts are at least partly responsible for Central Avenue’s unique “vibe” – and its success.

The full report is on our homepage: https://www.preservetheburg.org

We had a great time on our first Downtown Arcades Tour. This walk included the historic arcade buildings lining Central Avenue: the Crislip Arcade and Green-Richman Arcade, both located on the 600 Block, along with an exclusive visit inside the basement and interior of the Snell.

Thank you PTB Board Member Maria Erickson for leading this itinerary!

We have a few spots left for Saturday's walking tour. It's a special one-off "Arcade Tour" to celebrate Preservation Month. St. Petersburg was once home to 11 arcade buildings, constructed primarily in the 1920s. While several remain and others have been enclosed or significantly altered, four of these buildings still dot the central business district.

Register while space is still available! Link is in the bio!

""You tear down an older housing unit, you're tearing down a unit of affordable housing. Period." - Donovan Rypkema, PlaceEconomics

To help St. Pete housing affordability, look to older buildings, study says The report aims to quantify how older buildings bolster the local economy.

Preservation Expo is today! Did you forget to RSVP? No problem, just head on over to the St. Petersburg Museum of History between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Admission is free and we'd love to see you there.

335 2nd Ave NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Here are a few photos from last year's Expo part of our Preservation Expo—local experts in a variety of preservation fields will be at Friday's event to chat and answer questions you may have about your own projects. Join us at the St. Petersburg Museum of History anytime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

See the day's full schedule and RSVP here: https://ptb.wildapricot.org/event-5686355

Historic Preservation + Math =

Home values soar in St. Pete’s historic districts Manny Leto realizes that touting historic preservation's benefits is often a subjective debate centered around aesthetic appeal; he now has data highlighting its economic impacts. Leto, executive director of Preserve the ‘Burg, commissioned Place Economics to study property values throughout St. P...

It's May and that means it's Preservation Month, which we get pretty excited about. Though our Preservation Expo at the St. Petersburg Museum of History is NEXT WEEK, we're excited to kick off Preservation Month by featuring the speaker lineup.

The morning will start at 10 am with Donovan Rypkema of PlaceEconomics presenting the results of the economic impact study they performed in St. Pete last year. In addition to touring much of the city by car and on foot, the PlaceEconomics team met with dozens of community stakeholders and city officials over the course of 10 meetings in just two and half days. At the end of their visit, they met for breakfast with the PTB board to finalize plans for the study, which will look at density, affordable housing, property values of historic resources located in flood zones, social attitudes and perceptions related to historic preservation, and more.

In his presentation "Keeping the Vibe Alive: The Impact of Historic Preservation in St. Petersburg," Rypkema will present the conclusions of the economic impact study. Please join us! RSVP using this link https://ptb.wildapricot.org/event-5686355

We've got a special self-directed tour available thanks to the Center for Architecture and Design. Swing by Coffee Pot Park today 4/20 between 10 and 11 am to get your Mid Century Driving Tour Guide and make the fun happen on your schedule! More info here:

Preserve the 'Burg - Mid Century Driving Tour

This Saturday we celebrate our Members and Volunteers with a Social at the lively Polish American Society!

Whether you've been with us for years or are a new member, your support has made a significant impact, and we want to say thanks!

Join us Saturday, April 13 from 2 to 5 p.m. to connect with fellow members, staff, and board members.

Hear about our priorities and recent accomplishments, and enjoy light snacks along with beverages from the Polish American Society bar.

Plus, test your St. Pete history knowledge with a game of pub trivia!

The event is members only and free of charge. Save the date and join us for a memorable afternoon celebrating YOU, our dedicated members and volunteers.

Register here: https://ptb.wildapricot.org/event-5660120
See you Saturday!

Yes, it's April 1, but around here historic preservation is no joke! Consider becoming a Preserve the 'Burg member to support us in our mission to to educate, advocate for, and celebrate St. Pete's historic built environment and landscapes of importance in order to maintain a unique sense of place, enhance quality of life, and encourage economic vitality.

Become a member here: https://ptb.wildapricot.org/members

Despite decades of research and practice demonstrating the value historic neighborhoods and historic structures add to cities, property owners sometimes encounter a confusing swirl of horror stories and half-truths.

Preservation in the Sunshine: Myth vs. Reality Property owners in historic neighborhoods sometimes encounter a swirl of myths and horror stories. What's the truth?