Static Billboards Gone in St. Pete
Staff began removing 83 old-fashioned billboards four months ago to make way for new digital billboards.
St. Petersburg City Councilors were pleased to hear all 83 static billboards in the city were removed as part of their agreement with Clear Channel Outdoor.
"You used to be able to see five billboards from that intersection", Chair Karl Nurse said about the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Street and 18th Ave South. Nurse, along with the rest of council, said they were excited to see all 83 old-fashioned billboards gone.
During the city council meeting last Thursday, staff reported to councilors all 83 billboards and 42 structures were removed in less than four months to make way for six digital billboards.
Here are the future digital billboard locations:
- I-275 and Gandy
- I-275 and Gandy
- I-275 and 13th Avenue North
- I-275 and 22nd Street South *(Could be moved)*
- I-275 and Fourth Avenue South
- 175 and 12th Street South
Some councilors expressed concern over the brightness from the new billboards near residential areas. Although they are slated to be erected near the interstate, councilors noted that the billboard planned for 22nd Street Southwill be near residential areas.
Staff said if they keep the location off I-275 and 22nd, they will add appropriate landscaping.
As of Thursday, city staff hadn't received applications for the six digital billboards, but said they are expecting those soon.
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Tom Tito
2:54 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
The Council of Neighborhood Associations opposed this deal and in their research learned how much billboard companies would pay to cities that held out for the best price. They found a case where a city received a payment of a half million for a digital billboard and another where the city was paid one million dollars. At that price 6 new digital billboard might have been worth as much as $6 million. CONA did not want the money, they asked the city to trade for removal of all the old boards, not just the least profitable half. They also had concerns on the safety of these very distracting new signs.
City council may have just given away a resource worth $3-$6 million in return for a small fraction of that and removal of billboards that would come down anyway when the property they are on is redeveloped and that now provide a lot of valuable public service messages. These old signs may have been unprofitable and given over to public service when paying customers were not available.
The Patch would do well to enlighten readers in other cities where Clear Chanel wants a sweetheart deal on new digital signs.
Bill H.
4:18 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
This was a long tough battle for City Council, CONA, neighborhood associations and Clear Channel. After much discussion, long debates and looking at deals other cities have made, this was the best deal to remove 83 ugly eyesores that would have taken decades to come down if at all, to be replaced with 6 high tech digital ones on the Interstate where they will serve the city well to draw tourists into our city to shop, eat at our restaurants and see our museums. Congratulations to the city for making the best deal possible.