Historic St. Pete apartments painted pink for ‘last hurrah’ before luxury tower demolition

Old apartment buildings become art installation

Bay Area artists are turning century-old apartment buildings into an art installation before they are demolished. FOX 13’s Kailey Tracy reports. 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - More than a century of history is getting a bold, pink farewell in downtown St. Petersburg.

The Ventnor Apartments, on Fourth Avenue South and Fourth Street South, have become the talk of the town after local artists began coating the entire complex in pink paint last week. The project is a last hurrah for the buildings that are more than a century old, before they are cleared to make way for a 29-story luxury condominium.

"If I can get the permission to paint or destroy a building with paint, I will," explained John Vitale, owner of Vitale Bros. "There's something pretty satisfying about going over old windows and air conditioning and meter boxes and stuff because it’s not going to be here much longer."

The backstory:

Valor Real Estate Development initiated the project by contacting the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, who called local artists.

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"They put us in touch with Valor, and Valor had this idea to put us in charge of activating an entire city block," Vitale said.

"They've actually become somewhat of a hazard," Vitale said about the apartments. "It would be harder to bring them back than it would be just to knock them down."

The apartments have sat vacant for more than a year.

"We came in to hear and see and understand what St. Pete is all about and listen to the people," stated Moises Agami, CEO of Valor Real Estate Development. "This project has been born out of dozens of artists that are collaborating to create and bring together this pinnacle of architecture and art, combining together in this beautiful development called Roche Bobois St. Pete Tower. So, it's the ethos of St. Petersburg, you know, it's a character of St. Pete that is coming out and shining."

What they're saying:

Agami says they chose the color pink because it "embodies a lot of the character of St. Pete."

"It’s kind of a homage to the past," Agami said. "We’re now saying our goodbyes to these incredible buildings that served the community for so long," he said about the art installation.

The transformation has already sparked significant interest online and among neighbors. Helen French, Executive Director of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, noted that the temporary nature of the installation doesn't diminish its value.

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"Public art should bring people together and even if it's for a short period of time, it can have so many positive effects on a community and a neighborhood," French said. "So, I think it's a unique opportunity for the artist and for our community," she said.

What's next:

The pink walls won't stay blank for long. Saturday at noon, the site will host a mural flash mob, featuring dozens of local artists who will use the pink canvas to create individual murals.

Demolition is scheduled to begin this spring, with construction on the building starting in the summer. However, the connection to the local arts community will continue. Agami said local artists are also collaborating on the design and feel of the new 29-story building with 162 units.