PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A local development group is coming up with a creative way to repurpose a church in St. Petersburg.
The 98-year-old Westminster Presbyterian Church has been closed down for roughly a decade. "It really takes you back in time and makes you wonder what life was like back in the day," said neighbor, Lana Suarez.
Though it seems forgotten with time, the church still has a lot of beauty.
"Walking by it for four years now, you really start to notice the windows and all the architectural details and also admire how grand it is," said Suarez.
Now, a group called the Belleair Development Group is working to bring it back to life in a new way.
"This church was built in 1926, it was a vital part of the community as a church, as a school for a lot of neighbors and members in St. Pete," said Reid Yoder with the development group.
The church is currently listed as a local historic landmark in the St. Petersburg Register of Historic Places, but the designation allows for new uses.
So what's the plan?
The group wants to turn the building and the empty school next door into two town homes and a single-family home.
Neighbors said they want housing in this spot instead of a community center or church because of how narrow the roads are and how limited parking is in the area.
"After speaking with the residents, speaking with the neighborhood association, people wanted it to be lower traffic, and lower density," said Christian Yepes with the group.
"I know it would be a little difficult with the parking in the area," said Suarez.
Yoder said his architects are respecting the community's wishes of keeping a lot of the building the same as it was when it was built 98 years ago.
"All of these windows will be restored, but back into place, protected by impact glass," said Yoder.
The development group is now waiting on project approval from the St. Petersburg City Council.
Residents said they are excited the buildings are being repurposed and won't be an eye sore to the neighborhood anymore.
"Still conserving the history behind it, but turning it into something useful for the community as well," said Suarez.
