ST. PETERSBURG - The Manhattan Casino won high marks in a bid to get state money for renovation - but it's not likely the dollars will show up soon.
The city government has applied for $350,000 to help pay for remodeling the dance hall, an early 22nd Street S structure that became an African-American community cornerstone during segregation.
The Florida Historical Commission ranked the Manhattan 14th of 95 projects statewide, "a very good ranking," said City Council member Virginia Littrell.
But there still are nearly 50 projects left over from last year's application rankings that await funding from the Legislature. That leaves the Manhattan far down the line.
Littrell, who also is a member of the Historical Commission, said preservation boosters will ask lawmakers for $10-million to cover last year's "rollover" grants and $12-million to fund this year's new batch.
Downtown's First United Methodist Church also submitted an application, which ranked 34th, Littrell said. Applications from Admiral Farragut Academy and the St. Petersburg Historical Society were further down, she said.
The Manhattan already has about $2-million worth of grants to finance its remodeling effort, which is in its early stages.
