Activists demand city reconsider sale of public housing complex

A group of community activists have banded together to stop the controversial sale of the city's largest public housing complex.

Nearly 500 families would be uprooted by the St. Petersburg Housing Authority's plans to sell the Graham-Rogall complex near Tropicana Field to a condominium developer.

The Committee to Save Graham-Rogall wants the housing authority to renovate the deteriorating low-income units instead.

"These people have nowhere to go," said Judith Nelson, 73, chairwoman of the committee.

The housing authority decided to sell the Graham-Rogall buildings after its staff determined repairing the complex would cost more than $22-million. The two separate buildings, which share a hallway, are valued at $5-million.

But Nelson, a retired film distributor and president of the South St. Petersburg Democratic Club, said the housing authority board should at least try to find enough money to cover the repairs.

"This should be a priority," she said. "Who are they doing housing for, the rich or the poor?"

As of now, about 95 of the Graham building's 336 units are occupied. All of the 150 units in Rogall remain full.

The redevelopment has been stalled since June 2007 because of complications involving the sale of the Rogall building to condominium developer KEGB.

Under the terms of a restriction placed on part of the building during a 1994 bond refinancing, the Rogall apartments must remain affordable rental housing until 2017.

The housing authority and KEGB have appealed to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a special exemption to redevelop the property into condos sooner.

"Nothing has changed," said Audra Butler, spokeswoman for the housing authority. "We are still waiting to hear from HUD."

KEGB has said they could not make a profit running Graham-Rogall as apartments even if given the property for free.

The housing authority will meet April 24 to discuss how to move forward with the development.

Cristina Silva, Times staff writer