Downtown condo dwellers mix history with decor

ST. PETERSBURG

George Kinemond took a look around his condo building's hallways last year, disheartened by what he saw: bare brick accent walls and exposed spiral ductwork.

"The look did not match the beauty of our location, nor our vibrant group of residents," he said.

Kinemond, who lives in the McNulty Lofts building downtown, turned his thoughts outside and, together with other residents, decided that offsetting the building's factory elements would be fairly simple — all they had to do was bring downtown inside.

Built on the site of one of the city's first fire stations, where Chief John T. McNulty served a 23-year tenure, the high rise features five floors of residences atop an eight-story garage, a juxtaposition of modern and historic that now echoes throughout the interior in a collection of "Then and Now" black and white photographs.

The photo collection includes distinctive iconic images of St. Petersburg, each accompanied with a description placard: the early days of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, the Coney Island Grill in 1926, the 1889 Railroad Pier, Central Avenue in 1938, and the city skyline mid-century.

Displayed on the ninth floor is a snap of Marilyn Monroe and her husband: "Mr. & Mrs. Joe DiMaggio vacationing in St. Petersburg during spring training at Al Lang Field in 1954."

The building's look, both retro and sleek, echoes the city's, said Madelyn Kinemond, pointing to a photograph of the Florida Theater, the city's first air-conditioned building, announcing an Elvis performance in 1956.

"Black and white photographs represent a beauty that is timeless, consistent with what St. Petersburg's downtown represents," she said.

The project developed in stages, she explained, with residents initially submitting their own photographs. A four-month selection process followed, complemented by an assortment from the 8,000-image Museum of History archive.

Of 700 candidate images, 20 photographs ended up on each floor, laid out on an archival type of canvas with special pigmented inks. Made to last for 125 years, with no need for frame or glass, the canvases were an economical way to create a custom job that can "stand on its own," said Rob Davidson from Davidson Art Gallery, which assembled the pieces.

While the building's walls were initially bland, the Lofts has consistently housed a motley group of residents who have transformed their units' nontraditional living spaces into their own visions of urban homes.

Dave McKay, radio host for WQYK, personalized his 11-foot-ceiling loft with antiques and vintage radio equipment. He said the spike of art complements the building's backdrop.

"This added the final touch to the unique, unfinished look of the loft-condominiums," he said.

The decorative elements encourage interaction, "creating a more community feeling," said Janis Altner, a New Yorker who moved into the Lofts seven months ago.

"Strange how this ended up on my floor," she said, marveling at the shot of Babe Ruth that hangs on the wall across from one of the elevators. "It really gives me a sense of belonging."

Patton Hunter, a painter who wanted "a new life in the same city" traded her home in the Old Northeast for two units in 2006, while they were still under construction.

Hunter knocked down the dividing wall, transforming the two lofts into a home, studio and gallery.

"This project adds to our sense of pride of being in downtown St. Pete,'' she said. "And we certainly honor the city that way."