St. Pete luxury high-rise approved, low-income residents facing displacement

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A long-debated high-rise is officially moving forward in downtown St. Petersburg despite strong opposition from residents who say they’ll be displaced by the project.

What we know:

The city’s Development Review Commission voted 4–1 to approve a 21-story luxury apartment tower called "The Pelican," clearing the way for demolition of seven existing buildings along 4th Street North and 5th Avenue North.

Residents and preservationists argued it does not fit the character of the area. The development site includes land partially owned by Hotel Hollander, though the hotel itself will not be impacted.

What they're saying:

Many of the residents who spoke during the meeting said they live on fixed incomes and now face an uncertain future.

"It's nearly impossible to get into housing," said Cheryl Farrin, one of several residents who pleaded with commissioners to vote against the project.

Several speakers were residents of the Cara House, which provides independent living for adults with autism or mental health challenges. Residents and advocates argued those tenants are among the city’s most vulnerable and could be left without affordable housing as the luxury tower moves in its place.

"There are people living in these buildings," said Karen Potts, another resident who opposed the project. "We talk about them as if they’re dying and falling down. They’re not. There are human beings living in these structures now, and it’s affordable for them."

Dig deeper:

Opposition also came from historians and preservation advocates who argued the size and height of the building are incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood.

Manny Leto, with Preserve the Burg, said the project ignores long-standing city principles meant to protect neighborhood character.

"The area probably could do well with more density and more infill development. But a project at this scale, at this size, at this height, we just feel is really pushing the outer limits of what the code allows and what the code calls for," said Leto.

He said commissioners could have looked at aspects of the code to vote against the project.

"The code encourages sensitivity to neighborhoods," Leto said. "It directs the city to weigh the loss of historic resources. It directs the city to consider community character, and we don't see that with this project," he said.

The other side:

But not all residents opposed the plan.

Some property owners along 5th Avenue North said the mixed-use luxury development could help revitalize a heavily trafficked corridor.

"It’s plagued by vagrancy, low-income housing, and general unsightliness," said Kathryn Sole, who spoke in support of the project. Sole said she was in favor of the high-rise replacing the affordable housing.

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Attorneys representing the development argued that displaced residents could be relocated to other properties and said concerns about historic impacts and neighborhood character did not have merit.

"The most affected people are those on Fifth Avenue, and they are in support of it," said attorney Don Mastry, adding that "Fifth Avenue and 4th Street is not special."

What's next:

Leto said the decision highlights a larger debate about St. Petersburg’s future.

"We'll have to ask ourselves, what do we want St. Petersburg to look like 10, 15, 20 years down the line? I think we're seeing kind of those aspects of St. Petersburg that really drew people to the city and really makes St. Petersburg this really special place. We're seeing that sort of being eroded one project after another," said Leto.

Some commissioners who voted in favor of the project said they sympathized with residents but concluded the development met the city’s code requirements, from their view.