Exposing Central's red-brick streets
By ANDREW MEACHAM
Published December 26, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - Merchants want to take a closer look at Central Avenue - beneath the asphalt.
Grand Central District members on Tuesday decided to explore uncovering a test intersection to the brick that lies beneath, with the hope of doing the same to five more intersections eventually.
Advocates say the experiment has worked in other cities. But there is no money for a large-scale project, and the city and some business owners have their doubts.
The city paved Central Avenue with brick in 1913, only eight years after philanthropist Ed Tomlinson christened the streets with the first automobile here.
Asphalt came later, but you can still see original brick at multiple side streets off Central. The Grand Central District (between Interstate 275 and 31st Street, from First Avenue N to First Avenue S) is a Florida Main Street community, which honors historical restoration.
Susan Strom, owner of Twice Is Nice Interiors, where the group met, said that commercial growth and promotions have given the Grand Central area a boost.
"What you're trying to do is make a statement here," Strom said. "I have had people come in my store now and say, "Oh, now I know that Central Avenue is a place to shop.' That's what you're trying to do."
It is not a new idea. After a trip to newly uncovered brick streets in Dade City in 2002 with then-Main Street manager Suzanne LaBerge, city engineering director Michael Connors approved unearthing a test section along the 2800 block of Central Avenue.
The city used that data to estimate the cost of uncovering brick from 18th to 28th streets. The $806,000 price tag was higher then expected and beyond his department's budget, Connors said.
But another department, Capital Improvements, might have enough money to launch a trial uncovering. According to city planner Gary Jones, the city has up to $250,000 available for any Grand Central project that demonstrably benefits the public.
Grand Central members voted unanimously to seek a test. Joe Kubicki, the city's transportation and parking director, said that the city would consider trying a small area again and calculating the costs for a larger project.
But the city remains cautious because of the costs, the hazards of rerouting traffic and the unknown condition of the brick street sections. Connors said that the brick could be rutted and deteriorated, possibly leading to its being paved over in the first place. Workers could also find remnants of the Central Avenue trolley, at least in the form of empty space where rails used to be. "To assume you can just remove the asphalt and reveal an adequate brick pavement may not be a safe assumption," Connors said.
Ray Hinst, a co-owner of Haslam's Book Store, voted for trying out brick streets but described himself as "adamantly against" any large-scale brick removal that disrupts traffic. "It's very important that a critical disruptive mass is not arrived at," Hinst said, "where customers stop coming in and turn and go someplace else."
A dredging crew is setting up along canals in Coquina Key. Waterfront residents will pay an assessment for silt removal, which should result in greater depth and improved navigability for boaters.
The city hopes to finish that work by March 28, said Michael Connors, the city's director of Engineering, Stormwater and Transportation.
If all goes as planned, workers will move to the Maximo area by March 29 for work on the 46th Avenue S canal. They will dredge from two different areas at the mouth of the canal as it flows toward Boca Ciega Bay. The city plans to complete the 46th Avenue S canal dredging by April 15, Connors said.
Despite covering more area than any other neighborhood association, membership in Disston Heights had dwindled to 20 in May. Since then, however, 35 new members have signed on, plus nine early memberships for 2005, president Carole Griffiths said.
The city's sanitation department will pick up odd-sized and other unconventional throwaway items on five Mondays.
Starting at 7 a.m. Jan. 3, crews will pick up items placed curbside (or at normal trash pickup locations) between 34th and 49th streets, from 13th to 26th avenues N. A pickup Jan. 10 covers 34th to 49th streets, from 26th to 40th Avenue N.
You may discard items such as furniture, appliances, carpet and yard debris, including tree limbs up to 4 feet long. Do not leave paint, oils or solvents, chemicals or building materials.