Historic Central Avenue clock will chime again

The construction crews working on Red Apple Group’s 46-story tower in downtown St. Pete have removed the historic pedestal clock that’s been on the corner of Central and 5^{th Street} for almost 100 years, and the developers are in the process of having it restored. 

Construction crews have removed the historic pedestal clock that’s been on the corner of Central and 5th for almost 100 years, and the developer is having it restored and eventually replaced on site. Photo: Courtesy of Tucker Hall.

The non-functioning clock, installed in 1924, is at the site of New York-based Red Apple Group’s planned 46-story tower. Once the restoration process is complete, the crews will reinstall the clock at the site. 

“We look at this clock and see reflections of the charm and character of downtown St. Pete’s wonderful sidewalks and avenues,” Red Apple Group CEO John Catsimatidis Sr. said in a news release. “We are making sure to bring in experts with vast experience so this clock can stand again in a special place beside the future tower.”  

Red Apple Group is working with Tampa-based Boyd Clocks to restore the clock.

This clock is 98 years old. It was installed on the second-floor corner of the Home Security Building where it would chime every 15 minutes. Photo: Courtesy of Tucker Hall/St. Petersburg Museum of History.

The clock reflects a tradition of banks, department stores and offices installing ornate clocks on their buildings. The clocks were controlled via a wire from a master clock within the building, according to Boyd Clocks. 

The restored clock will be placed in a storage unit until The Residences at 400 Central development is nearly complete. 

The Residences at 400 Central is a planned 1.3 million-square-foot development in the heart of St. Petersburg that will offer 301 luxury homes, ground-floor retail and restaurants, and Class A office space. When completed, it will be the tallest tower in the city. 

Construction for the tower started in late January. The development is expected to take three years to complete.