Historic Ozona Village Hall needs repairs, restoration after Hurricane Helene
Restoring Ozona Village after Hurricane Helene
Nearly nine months after Hurricane Helene caused serious damage, the oldest operating historic building in unincorporated Pinellas County remains closed. FOX 13’s Jennifer Kveglis reports.
PALM HARBOR, Fla. - The oldest operating building in unincorporated Pinellas County is in need of restoration after Hurricane Helene.
The backstory:
Ozona's Village Hall was established in 1900 during a time when the small community was known for fishing and agriculture.
"It used to be a library; it used to be a church," Brian Smith, President of the Ozona Village Improvement Society (OVIS), said.
Over time, it became a central meeting place that also doubled as a museum.
"It's really special. It becomes the heart of the community. All of the meetings are in here," he explained.
Pictured: Ozona Village Hall.
It was a spot for annual holiday potlucks and birthday celebrations.
"We pretty much had seating room for about 80 people," he said. "It's the oldest operating building in unincorporated Pinellas County."
Two months after an indoor renovation was completed last year, Hurricane Helene brought unprecedented storm surge. Three feet of water rushed into the Village Hall.
"Not only is it emotional and spiritual kind of to the community, but it's also a physical one because this is where we met, this is where we got together," Smith said.
Some documents, wall hangings, and a piano were destroyed. What survived was moved to the Palm Harbor Museum.
Courtesy: Ozona Village Improvement Society.
What's next:
Smith said there's still a lot of work to be done. In April, the community came together to raise money for short-term fixes and an official restoration plan.
"We want to be able to elevate it and put it out of harm's way more than it already is so raise it maybe 4 or 5 feet," Smith said.
Pictured: Ozona Village Hall.
OVIS also wants to move the building away from a ditch.
"We have a state earmark going to the legislature right now for $400,000 which would basically repair the inside of the hall, elevate it, and move it over," Smith said.
Smith said it's all in the hands of legislators set to make a final vote on the state's fiscal budget on Monday.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis.
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