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Two areas jubilate about win from state
By JON WILSON
© St. Petersburg Times, EUSTIS -- First came the official announcement: Both Grand Central and 22nd Street S had won Florida Main Street status. The St. Petersburg contingent loosed a volley of applause and a couple of restrained cheers. But the folks really let go a minute later when Thursday's formal meeting of the Main Street advisory committee adjourned. About 75 people from the two neighborhoods scraped back their folding chairs, stood and flowed together like a deck of shuffled cards. Chatter hit high volume. Flashbulbs twinkled. And at eye level, the Eustis Community Center became a blur of hands and arms as excited boosters leaned into hugs and handshakes. "This is good, really good for St. Pete," said 22nd Street's Jean Claude Petit, flashing a thumbs-up. David Gruskin, Grand Central's president, already was looking forward to the joint party the neighborhoods would hold back home a few hours later. "I've got to stop and buy more champagne," he said. It was a sweet victory for both groups. Each had applied before to the Main Street program, which for 16 years has helped aging business neighborhoods back on their feet with specialized help in promotion, organization, building design and economics. Last year, both lost to other communities. This year it was no contest. The Grand Central District and the 22nd Street S Redevelopment Corp. gave polished, well-researched presentations Thursday to the Main Street selection committee. And it was clear that their work impressed the panel, comprising representatives of state government and such organizations as the League of Cities, 1000 Friends of Florida and the National Trust. The Main Street program comes under Secretary of State Katherine Harris. "Now everyone's energized and can work together," said Bob Jeffrey, the city's urban design and preservation manager. "Where you have two (groups) working together, it gives you the strength of three." Through the years, main business thoroughfares in smaller towns often have been given assistance. This year, the Eau Gallie section of Melbourne and Jay, a village in the Panhandle, were the other applicants. Two neighborhoods from the same city succeeding in the same year is unusual, officials said. And there was some concern that such a thing couldn't happen. But it was never an issue. The committee ranked Grand Central first and 22nd Street second, but the voting was nearly a dead heat. Each of the seven panel members ranked one or the other of the St. Petersburg groups first or second. Committee chairman Rick Stauts, an official with the state Department of Community Affairs, praised the St. Petersburg teams, each of which had chartered a bus to come to Eustis, itself a Main Street community. "You would have been No. 1 and No. 2 regardless of who else was ranked," Stauts said. "You made two wonderful applications." So what's next? Statewide Main Street coordinator Laura Lee Fisher will visit 22nd Street and Grand Central within a few weeks, helping leaders to draft a revival strategy. Later, consultants will help the neighborhoods focus on specific goals. For example, 22nd Street's boosters want to strengthen their organization and decide how best to promote the Main Street program, said Petit, 22nd Street's Main Street manager. Gruskin said Grand Central will likely concentrate on marketing its area and recruiting new businesses. The Main Street program will run for three years, and each area will get $10,000 in state money. The amount represents token "seed money"; the program's major impact comes from the technical assistance offered. Grand Central's effort focuses on Central Avenue between Interstate 275 and 28th Street, a section that began to grow even before the 1920s boom. The 22nd Street project runs from I-275 to 15th Avenue S, once the heart of the African-American community's main thoroughfare. Just a few blocks separate the two neighborhoods. Leaders in both groups say they want to find a way to bring the neighborhoods together so each project can feed off the other one. "It's two areas in the same city, but with different needs. We have two Main Streets we need to bring together. We need to have a meeting of the minds to bridge the gap," said Annette Howard, the chairwoman of 22nd Street's promotions committee.
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