St. Petersburg chosen for revitalization project

Front Porch Florida is designed to allow grassroots groups to create their own strategies for renewal.

By DAVID K. ROGERS

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 8, 1999

ST. PETERSBURG -- St. Petersburg and two other cities have been selected by Gov. Jeb Bush to participate in an urban revitalization project called Front Porch Florida.

The program is new and the significance of the city's selection remains to be seen, but it's designed to allow grassroots groups to create their own economic development, housing and crime-reduction strategies.

Though it lacks specifics, and sounds a lot like the federal and state promises that arrived after violent disturbances three years ago, news of the designation was hailed as a significant step in rebuilding the city's most troubled neighborhoods.

Bush first outlined the program here last year during a campaign tour of the city's so-called Challenge 2001 area, the neighborhoods hit hardest by two nights of sporadic looting and arson in 1996. The targeted neighborhoods are in the district now represented by State Rep. Rudy Bradley, who switched to Bush's Republican Party in May.

"He was very impressed with what he saw here, and he wanted to start something like it around the state," recalled Mayor David Fischer.

But city officials stressed Thursday that it was a network of minority-based neighborhood organizations -- not City Hall or political influence -- that came together to seek the Florida Front Porch designation from the governor's office.

The group was led by St. Petersburg attorney Yate Cutliff, who chairs the non-profit St. Petersburg Employment and Economic Development Corp. She also chairs the umbrella organization formed to apply for the state designation, the Community Development Association of St. Petersburg.

Because of work the city has already done in trying to bring its older neighborhoods back, Cutliff said, many of the most pressing problems have been identified. "We know about the problems. Now we need to find ways to start implementing some innovative solutions."

Bush, in a prepared statement, said the communities selected from 95 applicants for the program "have demonstrated resident-driven revitalization efforts; a desire to raise educational standards in their public schools; provide quality health care for members of their communities and they are addressing environmental concerns."

The area specifically targeted for the program includes Campbell Park, Palmetto Park, Wildwood Heights, the Melrose/Mercy and Pine Heights area, and Thirteenth Street Heights, roughly a 2-square-mile portion of the city's Challenge 2001 district. As commonly happens with new programs, the state has created a new name for the targeted neighborhoods, the Greater South Central Neighborhood.

Along with the St. Petersburg neighborhoods, portions of Opa-Locka in South Florida and a few West Palm Beach neighborhoods received the Front Porch Florida designation. In 2000, portions of Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale and Pensacola will be included.

Just what these communities will have access to, and how they will access it, is still being outlined, but some specifics were available Thursday. At Bush's request, the Legislature has already set aside $5.2-million to help pay for Front Porch Florida programs. They include:

$1.6-million in grants to help produce redevelopment strategies for commercial neighborhoods.

A "microcredit" loan program for start-up businesses that otherwise might not have access to conventional lending.

Money, amount unannounced, to help encourage venture capital, loan guarantees, bonding, trade and technical assistance to predominantly African-American businesses.

$100,000 to establish a mentoring program to help children succeed academically while avoiding drugs, alcohol, gangs and teen pregnancies.

$1-million to help clean up contaminated industrial sites and monitor the health of residents living nearby.

$700,000 to help encourage businesses to create new jobs in older industrial areas.

$300,000 to help qualifying families "homestead" rehabilitated rental houses for eventual ownership.

"I think it's outstanding," council member Frank Peterman said after hearing of the city's inclusion in the program. "This will help us get closer to our overall goal of parity for south St. Petersburg."

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