Fla. International Museum asks city to forgive debt

By: Dave Balut

St. Petersburg, Florida - A week ago, the Florida International Museum signed a contract for a major new exhibit of art and historical items from the Vatican. Now that the Vatican Splendors deal is official, the museum is asking the City of St. Petersburg to forgive a $260,000 debt.

"This will make the museum debt free, allow them to successfully promote the Vatican exhibit that's coming up in the Spring," said City Development Administrator Rick Mussett.

Mussett says the city loaned the museum money in 2004 to get them to move from the old Maas Brothers store on 2^nd Street, to a much smaller location in St. Petersburg College on 2^nd Avenue North. That allowed the city to sell the Maas Brothers site for a new Progress Energy tower and a new resort hotel and condominiums.

"I think it's a pretty good deal, we give $260,000 and we sold the land that they gave up for $5-million, do the math, we're over four-and-a half million ahead," said Mussett

The museum's executive director says the city should forgive the $260,000 debt.

"It's never a good time to ask for forgiveness for anything, but I do feel that the museum has over the past 15 years paid its dues and then some," said FIM Executive Director Kathy Oathout.

Oathout says the Vatican exhibit will go on whether or not the city forgives the museum's debt. Whether the museum can continue operating after that, is still up in the air.

The Florida International Museum has operated in downtown St. Petersburg since 1995. Its most successful exhibit, Titanic, attracted 830,000 visitors in late 1997 and early 1998.

The museum moved to its smaller site two years ago.