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Business strip ready for bannersBy JON WILSON, Times Staff Writer© St. Petersburg Times published February 3, 2002 ST. PETERSBURG -- Central Avenue just west of Tropicana Field is steadily shedding its old skin for a new identity, redevelopment experts said last week. They also told Grand Central boosters they must keep on keeping on. "Everyone wants to know, "When are we going to be done with this?' You're really just beginning," said Joshua Bloom, a National Main Street economic specialist. Bloom was one of four Main Street authorities in town to encourage and offer suggestions to Grand Central, a 1920s-era neighborhood comprising Central and First avenues N and S between I-275 and 31st Street. A strip of it -- Central between I-275 and 28th Street -- was designated last summer to be part of the Florida Main Street program, which offers state help in bringing back faded commercial neighborhoods. A section of 22nd Street S also won Main Street designation at the same time. The Grand Central neighborhood has seen several new businesses start up, expand or draw nearer to opening. Barry Jones opened the Central Time Cafe at 2101 Central Ave. in July, for example. Abraham Reid has purchased the empty building at 2307 Central Ave. to expand his hand-carved furniture store at 2327 Central. While taking the boards off the front of the newly purchased building, he found a hidden glass-tile facade underneath. Such activity -- and other elements such as diagonal parking, a strong sense of neighborhood history, clustered businesses and an effective city partnership -- brought high praise from the Main Street resource team. The experts had a few suggestions Thursday evening. Among them: Better define the entrances to the district. Put up flags and banners. Put on at least one more event during the year, such as a block party or a health-related activity in conjunction with the new YMCA a few blocks west.
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