FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Volunteers to Help Clean Up Crislip Arcade
St. Petersburg FL, July 7, 2009 – Four local organizations are working to revitalize the Crislip Arcade and need volunteer help from St. Pete businesses and citizens.
The result is Clean Up Crislip, a one-day clean-up event on Saturday, July 11th, 2009. On this day volunteers will clean up the arcade and storefronts by sweeping, painting, and improving the appearance of this historically significant structure.
Soon after the owner will be offering five-year leases at well below market rates. There are already 11 organizations on the lease waiting list, including
Studio@620.
The Masonry Vernacular style commercial building was constructed ca. 1926 during St. Petersburg’s boom era. John A. Crislip purchased the property for the arcade building and Edgar Ferdon, St. Petersburg’s first professional architect, designed the building. The Crislip Arcade was one of ten shopping arcades in the downtown core of St. Petersburg from the 1920s through the 1950s. Arcades were popular as a precursor to the shopping mall with a covered walkway with skylights through a structure lined with stores and offices.
City Councilwoman Leslie Curran is expected to be at the July 11th clean-up day, and Joy and Michael McGhee will set up their hot dog stand (normally at the corner of 6th Street and Central Avenue) to give volunteers free hot dogs. Said Joy, “Being a part of the 600 block for 10+ years, and watching all the shops close down, was just heart breaking. We will do whatever we can to help revitalize 600 Central!”
Over twenty volunteers have signed up to participate in Saturday’s cleaning, which will start at 8:00 AM. Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to register at
http://www.cleanupcrislip.com/. The site also has details of the Crislip’s history and donation form; donations are being handled by St. Petersburg Preservation, a registered 501(c)3 non-profit.
Ginger Reichl, Pinstripe Marketing
(727) 214-1555
greichl@pinstripemarketing.com