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Science Center of Pinellas County, once slated to be torn down, to be revived
State dollars and hopes for other funding make those leading the restoration effort hopeful the site will soon again welcome kids for science and technology education.
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State Rep. Linda Chaney, City Council member Robert Blackmon (center) and state Sen. Darryl Rouson are pictured during a news conference at the Pinellas Science Center, where they announced funding for the center which will enable its restoration, Friday, July 23, 2021, in St. Petersburg. [ MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times ]
Published Yesterday
The unoccupied Science Center of Pinellas County has become a fossil of sorts. It brimmed with life for decades as countless kids learned inside, but now boarded-up windows, a faded mural depicting the space shuttle Challenger and empty classrooms mark the decay of the building, which seemed slated for demolition when St. Petersburg bought it in 2019.
Which Tampa Bay projects will survive a Ron DeSantis veto?
At least $245 million in local projects have been approved by the Legislature. Their fate lies with DeSantis.
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Aerial photo of the construction site of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center. Courtesy of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center [ [ Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center ] ]
Updated May 10
TALLAHASSEE â When ZooTampa at Lowry Park had a $500,000 budget request denied by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, executives were not surprised.
Just a few months into the coronavirus outbreak, Floridaâs financial picture looked grim. In the face of a devastating pandemic, investing six figures on the zooâs panther habitat was not at the top of DeSantisâ priority list. He vetoed the zooâs project â along with more than $1 billion in total budget vetoes.