Group seeks to save century-old building

ST. PETERSBURG - St. Petersburg Preservation wants downtown's Detroit Hotel designated an historic landmark.

Tony Amico, who owns the retail space and four of the Detroit's 19 condominiums, understands.

"The building certainly has a very historical and colorful past" he says, adding "...and if they want to preserve it, let them buy it."

The Detroit Hotel was built in 1888 by John Williams, who brought a railroad into St. Petersburg, and Peter Demens, the town's other founding father.

The original wood structure is now surrounded by brick additions dating back to the early 1900's.

"You know, you don't get too many opportunities like this to save a building," says SPP president Maureen Stafford. "This is 122 years of St. Petersburg's history."

Most of the current condo owners have written or e-mailed the city objecting to the landmark designation.

Because of those objections, it will take a supermajority vote of the city council to designate the Detroit Hotel an historic landmark.