Preserve the ‘Burg, county band together to educate public

Preserve the ‘Burg is teaming up with Pinellas County for the first time to present a combined expo and summit to educate residents about the latest preservation efforts and changes in the community. 

“The idea is to marry speakers and presenters with vendors and non-profit groups to create a space for conversation around these issues. The topics relate to our history, preservation, walkability, affordability, resiliency and small business creation,” the advocacy group’s Executive Director Manny Leto said. “St. Pete’s historic neighborhoods are at the heart of those issues.” 

Friday’s Perseveration Summit and Expo will be at the St. Petersburg Museum of History from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

This will be Preserve the ‘Burg’s second expo. The county’s urban planning and preservation team presents annual preservation summits, but Leto said the two groups agreed to combine forces this year rather than host two separate events. For over six months, the duo formed the speaker lineup and panels for the day-long event featuring local preservationists. 

“We just don’t always have the firepower to do this on our own,” Leto said. “I’m very big on partnerships.” 

The expo and summit will include presentations on how residents can build accessory dwelling units and research information about historic homes.

“We want to have a broader conversation in how ADUs can play in affordability,” Leto said. “Sometimes affordable housing already exists. We have smaller homes built close together in a densely populated neighborhood where you will find affordable housing without subsidies. We can look at investing in our current housing stock to keep legacy residents in place.” 

Melissa Wyllie, president and CEO of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, will serve as the keynote and join the lineup of a dozen other speakers. 

The panels and speakers include: 

• Accessory dwelling units: Honoring the past and planning for the future panel led by Alec Smith, principal architect at Boone Architectural Restoration
• 2023 Florida legislative session recap panel led by Wyllie
• Historic preservation and affordable housing panel led by Andrea Galinski, an assistance scholar at the University of Florida-Shimberg Center for Housing Studies
• Historic preservation incentives panel led by Bob Mayer, president of MR Capital Advisors, and Derek Kilborn, manager of the city’s urban planning and historic preservation division 
• A panel on using museum collections to research historic properties led by Jessy Breckenridge, archives and collections manager at the St. Petersburg Museum of History

Leto expects hundreds of people to attend the event throughout the day. 

The event, which includes admission to the museum, will also highlight local vendors specializing in home restoration and historic photo conservation, and other non-profits.