Janelle Irwin Taylor
The Manhattan Casino, a historic building in the city of St. Petersburg’s iconic neighborhood known as “The Deuces” along 22nd Street South, has secured $1.05 million in the proposed state budget.
The House and Senate agreed to fully fund the project, which aims to revitalize the structure into an affordable event space. The line item has been closed out in the latest bump offer from the Senate.
Requested by Sen. Darryl Rouson and Rep. Michele Rayner (SF 2105, HF 1658), both of whom represent the area, the funding will help pay for renovations to transform the facility into a city-owned and -operated event and entertainment space.
The 22nd Street South corridor was the main street through St. Pete’s historic African American community, and the Manhattan Casino was a popular entertainment hub for dancing and cultural events. It hosted such notable entertainers as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Cab Calloway and others during the segregation era.
Since 2011, several private operators have leased space in the facility, with the most recent lease having expired in 2022. With little success to tout, the city held a community feedback session to gather input from stakeholders on how to best utilize the historic space, finding through that process that an affordable event venue honoring and preserving the facility’s rich history is the best course of action.
The state funding will add to $2.85 million in local matching funds for the project, meaning 73% of the cost will be funded locally, while the state will fund just 27%.
Rayner, in her appropriations request, noted that renovating the Manhattan Casino would “serve as a catalyst for the continued revitalization and redevelopment of 22nd Street South.”
