City Council clears the way for demolition of old church

ST. PETERSBURG -- The former First Baptist Church, a historic 77-year-old building, will be torn down if its owners raise enough money for the project that would replace it.

The vote to let it happen came early Friday morning after hours of emotional testimony that stretched past midnight. In the end, the City Council agreed to let the Cathedral Church of St. Peter demolish the old sanctuary.

The vote was 7-1. The lone dissenter was Virginia Littrell, a former chairwoman of the city's Historic Preservation Commission.

St. Peter's plans to demolish the old church, at 120 Fourth St. N -- across from Williams Park -- to make room for an $8-million expansion project.

About 100 St. Peter's members marched to City Hall, prayed on its steps and subsequently pleaded their case to the council.

"We think this is a terrific victory, and I think it's a great Christmas gift for the people of St. Peter's," said Ron Sinclair, chairman of the Episcopal cathedral's master plan committee.

The council's decision, however, is conditional. Before being allowed to tear down the old Baptist church, the cathedral, at 140 Fourth St. N, must raise the funds it needs for its expansion project. It has three years to do so. Before demolition, St. Peter's also must give salvagers an opportunity to remove architectural elements from the church. In addition, St. Peter's must create a historic record of the former Baptist church, which city staffers have called a "rare example of neoclassical revival style in St. Petersburg."

The City Council's decision disappointed preservationists. But Jim Brennan, president of St. Petersburg Preservation Inc., said he is not surprised that St. Peter's got its way.

"They're such a historical organization, and they have deep roots in the community," he said. "I felt we had our work cut out for us."

His group is unlikely to fight the ruling.

"I think it's a time to heal wounds rather than keep them open," he said. "This has been a deeply divisive issue within the preservation community because many preservationists were divided within themselves."

Rick Smith, a planner with the City's Urban Design and Historic Preservation Division, said he thinks the former Baptist church "is the most prominent designated landmark" that will be demolished since the city's preservation program began in 1986.

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