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The grillwork is off St. Pete's Pheil hotel, revealing the original brick not seen in 50 years (w/ video)

 
Workers from the demolition crew of Kimmins Contracting Corporation, Tampa, peeled back the metal "cheesgrater" skin of the old Pheil Hotel, 424 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Monday, revealing salmon colored brick with ornate designs. A 6,500 pound wrecking ball came crashing down on the 11 story building built in the 1920s during St. Petersburg first building boom. The block will be redeveloped possibly for a mixed-use tower and hotel. SCOTT KEELER   |   Times
Workers from the demolition crew of Kimmins Contracting Corporation, Tampa, peeled back the metal "cheesgrater" skin of the old Pheil Hotel, 424 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Monday, revealing salmon colored brick with ornate designs. A 6,500 pound wrecking ball came crashing down on the 11 story building built in the 1920s during St. Petersburg first building boom. The block will be redeveloped possibly for a mixed-use tower and hotel. SCOTT KEELER | Times
Published Oct. 24, 2016

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