Stakeholders celebrate abandoned hospital’s transformation

An ambitious project that will transform an abandoned St. Petersburg hospital into a vibrant, affordable housing development for low-income seniors is underway.

Myriad stakeholders celebrated construction commencing on the former Edward White Hospital at a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday. The new mixed-use facility (at 2323 9^th Avenue N.) will provide 71 apartments, wraparound services and office space.

While the six-story building shows its age and lack of interior maintenance, the St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) has long seen the former hospital’s potential. Michael Lundy, president and CEO of the SPHA, credited an extensive partner list for helping his organization “breathe life into its walls.”

“You are transforming this concept into a finished product,” Lundy told attendees. “This milestone achievement is becoming a reality because of our relationship with you.”

Several stakeholders ceremoniously broke ground on the $31 million project.

SPHA purchased the property for $5.1 million in December 2021. The St. Petersburg City Council, mayoral administration and Pinellas County Commissioners have financially supported the project.

Congresswoman Kathy Castor requested $5.34 in federal funding and championed the project in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Pinellas County Community Foundation, Valley Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank also helped provide the resources necessary to bring the project to fruition.

Mayor Ken Welch, one of 10 stakeholders to speak at the ceremony, memorialized the milestone with a proclamation. SPHA officials will entomb a physical copy of his decree and other related artifacts in a time capsule beneath the reimagined building.

“It’s great to see the reuse of a facility that has been such a part of our community for so long,” Welch said. “It will now meet a real need in the community with affordable housing for seniors, and 71 lives will be changed for the better going forward.”

The building’s interior resembles a time capsule, as its doors have rarely been opened since 2014. A recent private tour highlighted the work ahead for St. Petersburg-based Lema Construction, the roughly $31 million project’s lead contractor.

Ed White Hospital opened in 1976. Its namesake was the first American to walk in space in June 1965, and was then named senior pilot of the first Apollo mission.

Edward Higgins White II died in January 1967 when Apollo 1 caught fire during pre-launch testing at Cape Canaveral. An artist will restore a sun-faded plaque honoring the space pioneer.

Several surviving family members attended the event. His daughter, Bonnie White Baer, said her father “would be so happy and proud” that the new facility will continue honoring his name.

The SPHA will entomb this time capsule in the reimagined facility’s foundation.

Baer noted that her father was stationed at Bartow Air Force Base, about 60 miles east, in the early 1950s. Her grandfather, Maj. Gen. Edward Higgins White I, retired to St. Petersburg in 1957.

Baer’s uncle graduated from St. Petersburg High School. The institution’s marching band opened the ceremony.

Baer said her father, “known for having an extra helping of ‘the right stuff’ and a heart full of care” for the disadvantaged, would be “delighted” with the redevelopment providing affordable housing for low-income seniors. “I know he is watching us right now from heaven, and he’s got a big smile on his face.”

The redevelopment, dubbed the Ed White Campus, will provide 60 one-bedroom, seven studio and four two-bedroom units for those earning less than 80% of the area median income. SPHA will dedicate 18,000 square feet of the 121,000-square-foot facility’s space to its new administrative offices.

The project is centrally located in the North Kenwood neighborhood, which increases accessibility for the organization’s clients. It is also adjacent to Booker Creek Park, and apartments will have lakeside or downtown views.

The first-floor lobby will become an open dining room with a catering kitchen. SPHA will also provide a community room, computer lab and fitness center.

A rendering of the Edward White Campus’ west entrance. Image: Wannemacher Jensen Architects.

Evara Health will offer clinician services, including preventative care and chronic disease management, from renovated rooms and offices on the ground floor. Elodie Dorso, president and CEO, said the project represents “a vital commitment to ensuring our seniors – those who have given so much to us – have a safe and affordable place to call home.”

“A safe, stable home is the foundation upon which health is built,” Dorso added. “It provides a security that allows individuals to focus on their well-being, manage their health and conditions and engage with their community.”

Multiple speakers shared their personal experiences at the hospital. Commissioner Rene Flowers credited its physicians for saving her life, and she believes the new facility will create similar impacts in the lives of future residents.

Johnathan Stanton, president of Lema Construction, expects the Edward White Complex to open in roughly 20 months. He also encouraged attendees to refer local subcontractors.