Open House Planned For Lealman Community Campus

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Pinellas County will host an open house Saturday, Feb. 24, to spotlight the long-awaited Lealman Community Campus.

The open house for the new community center at 5175 45th St. N., St. Petersburg will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Located within the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area (CRA), the 5.85-acre Lealman Community Campus will offer youth mentoring, after-school programs, adult education, workforce training and health and human services programs, as well as other uses.

The former Windsor Charter School, the county purchased the property last year using $11 million from the Penny for Pinellas tax. The campus includes three facilities with two classroom buildings, a gymnasium and outdoor recreation areas totaling about 77,000 square feet.

The facility will be managed by the Pinellas County Redevelopment Agency/Lealman Community Revitalization Area to make sure it meets the needs of residents.

The Lealman Community Redevelopment Area is the first area in unincorporated Pinellas County targeted for redevelopment.

Lealman encompasses a 4-square-mile area bounded by 34th Street, 62nd Avenue North, 49th Street and 40th Avenue North.

Founded as a rural community in the early 20th century, it is now an urban area with a population of nearly 19,000 people.

Most of the community's residents are low income. The median income of residents in Lealman is $30,358, compared to the countywide median income of $43,937. Nearly 23 percent of the households earn less than $15,000 a year.

Over the years, it's become a blighted community dominated by poorly maintained rental properties where prostitution, drug and other crimes were rampant.

Interested in improving the appearance of the community, adding community services and increasing community pride, residents, property owners and business owners came together to develop a revitalization plan, which was adopted by the Pinellas County Commission in 2001.

The opening of the Lealman Community Campus this spring is a major step in that redevelopment effort. The campus is anticipated to be a hub for recreation, education and community services, and serve about 1,000 people each month.

The Feb. 24 open house will feature facility tours, exhibits of county services, touch-a-truck displays and other activities.

The county is currently in the process of identifying community service providers interested in renting space in the new facility.

Organizations interested in being part of the campus can fill out an application on the county’s website.

Image via Pinellas County