St. Petersburg Couple Fights to Save 98-Year-Old Church from Demolition

98-Year-Old Church in St. Petersburg Faces Demolition

Irene and Noam Krasniansky want to save a 98-year-old church in St. Petersburg, Florida. They recently bought the Euclid Church on 10th Ave North and plan to turn it into an event space and a bed and breakfast. The church, which has been vacant since 2005, was added to the St. Pete Register of Historic Places in 2004.

The couple sold their home in California to fund this project. “For me, it’s important. I would like to save this building at all costs,” Irene said. They invested $300,000 in renovations but faced damage from Hurricane Milton.

The couple attended a City Community Planning and Preservation Commission meeting to present their plans. They had been waiting for months for this hearing. Unfortunately, the commission voted 3-3 on their proposal, resulting in a denial. Some commissioners expressed concerns about noise and traffic. Noam provided solutions for these issues, and a local group, Preserve The ‘Burg, supported their proposal.

“I feel like we’ve gotten so much support, especially on social media,” Irene expressed. “Why wouldn’t you want to save this building?”

Without approval, the future of the church is uncertain. The building is deteriorating, and Noam shared a grim view: “This building is unsellable. Nobody is going to buy it.” The couple hopes they can save the church before it is too late. FOX 13 has reached out to the city for comments but has not yet received a response.