2006 Mayor's Historic Preservation Summit

On June 24th, 2006, The City of St. Petersburg sponsored the Mayor's Summit on Historic Preservation. The event, which was held at the historic Coliseum, was officially opened by Mayor Baker who spoke about St. Petersburg's rich historical past and the direction of its exciting future. The keynote address was given by Timothy McLendon, author of Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation in Florida. Educational sessions covering the City's local ordinance, Federal and local tax incentives, Adaptive Reuse and the Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs), and Rehabilitation and the Florida Building Code were also presented. Case studies were used to illustrate real life examples of how these financial incentives have been utilized to maintain the architectural legacy of our city. Some of the most important sessions of the day involved defining the critical elements of St. Petersburg's character and a public input exercise by attendees to identify priorities for future preservation efforts in the community.