For the first time in decades, the historic Pheil Hotel is revealing its original brick facade to pedestrians and businesses along Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg.
Crews demolishing the hotel and other structures on the 400 block of Central recently removed the aluminium grillwork that was added in the 1960s and made the hotel resemble a giant cheese grater.
A wrecking ball already has pulverized other sections of the 11-story hotel in a process that should be completed by Thanksgiving, paving the way for the block's redevelopment.
Related: As development nears, a look inside St. Pete buildings frozen in time