Alongside a varied assortment of new businesses and local hot spots, Downtown St. Pete is still lined with a handful of historic structures from eras long past. The historic six-story YMCA building on the northeast intersection of 5th Street and 3rd Avenue South is one of these, but could soon be no more as the structure faces the prospect of demolition within the next few months.
Now, a local group has formed to save and transform this larger than life building into a contemporary hub for music, nightlife, and more in Downtown St. Pete. The group, called Save the Historic YMCA, has emerged to raise funds with the goal of renovating the structure into a rock and roll museum and special events facility.
A Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for the demolition of the building has been submitted to the St. Petersburg City Council who will begin hearings on the future of the historic structure on Friday, November 16.
Save the Historic YMCA is seeking community support in the form of $1.4 million to buy the building and another $2 million to renovate. To keep their efforts alive, the group needs $20,000 by November 15 and another $8,000 a month until May to make the Rock and Roll Museum and events facility a reality.
The group is crowd sourcing their public fundraising efforts with the hopes that the St. Pete community's love for the arts will turn into the funds to save the historic YMCA. They're currently applying for 501(c)3 status, but their website historicymca.com claims that all contributions are "at risk" and "nonrefundable" at this time.
We'll keep you posted as more news arises.
