City Council supports nonprofit’s plan to purchase Kerouac house
July 10, 2020 - The City Council unanimously approved a resolution to formally express its support for the nonprofit Jack Kerouac’s House of St. Petersburg to purchase the legendary author’s home and establish a writer’s retreat. The nonprofit has an agreement to buy the house, located at 5169 10th Ave. N., for $300,000. It's currently owned by a house flipping company that bought the property for $220,000 in June. Once the purchase is made, the group plans to do renovations and beautification projects to ensure the property can be enjoyed by future generations. Kerouac lived in St. Pete twice—once from 1964 to 1965, and then again from 1968 until his death of a stomach hemorrhage October 1969. The “King of the Beats” resided in semi-obscurity with his mother Gabrielle and his third wife Stella, in a three-bedroom house in Disston Heights. The property has been empty since Kerouac’s death.