A new documentary features former residents of the historic Gas Plant district.
The St. Petersburg neighborhood was demolished in the 1980s to make way for major league baseball. Decades later, city leaders are again discussing the fate of the 86 acres that was once a bustling Black neighborhood.
"Razed" is a 75-minute film that enshrines the oral histories of 20 former Gas Plant residents and features three local historians.
RELATED: Student podcast shares childhood memories from St. Petersburg's Gas Plant neighborhood
"Can we put it back together? No. But we can put the history back together," former resident Russell Cato said in the film.
It was produced independently by Roundhouse Creative Studio in partnership with the African American Heritage Association of St. Petersburg along with grant support by the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg.
WUSF's Gabriella Paul sat down with director Andrew Lee and assistant director and producer Tara Segall for a behind-the-scenes look at the film.
What's the meaning behind the title of the film?
Tara: Razed, R-A-Z-E-D means demolish, taken down to the ground, which is what happened to the Gas Plant community. But we also have heard so many stories about how the gas plant raised, like R-A-I-S-E-D, people up from childhood through adulthood. And so, for us, that name kind of covered both sides of this story. It's the happy memories, it's the joyful community, it's the support, and then it's also the demolition and loss of the community.
Andrew, can you just give us a primer on the history of the Gas Plant district which is the subject of the documentary?
So the gas plant neighborhood is a primarily African American neighborhood that began in the early days of St. Petersburg in the late 1800s with the construction of the Orange Belt Railway that brought a lot of Black laborers from other states in the South … and they established a community in what became known as the Gas Plant neighborhood.
There became a time where the City of St. Petersburg thought that the neighborhood should be revitalized. … And they asked the residents of the neighborhood to move out … and the residents would have a chance to come back and live better lives there.
A few years went by and the City of St. Petersburg changed their minds … and they decided that the area would be better suited for a baseball stadium.
As white creators, what was it like to produce a film about injustices to the Black residents of the historic Gas Plant neighborhood?
Andrew: We are very aware of the fact that we are white filmmakers making a film about Black history, and we knew early on — when we had the idea to help tell this story — that there was a phone call that we needed to make immediately. And depending on how that phone call went, we would either make the film or not.
And that was to Miss Gwendolyn Reese of the African American Heritage Association. We knew that she holds so much of this history, she is the holder, and we knew that we really couldn't make this film without her being a part of it. So thankfully, she said yes, and then that set us down the path of making it with her help.
So, she is named as a producer of the film. And I understand she helped connect you with around 20 Gas Plant residents and three historians who are in the documentary. Is there a specific moment from production that sticks with you?
Tara: I remember when we first had those initial four residents in the studio to interview kind of as a proof of concept. I was sitting with Carlos Lovett … and he started to tell me a little bit of his story before he got on camera. And it was so deeply moving, so emotional that even in those early days, I think we forge really deep relationships with these people. And that has continued over three years, and really, for me, that's what this film is about. It is about bringing those stories forward, making sure these folks are are heard, are seen, and that their story is shared with the larger community.
You've shared some sound with me from the interview with Carlos that appears in the film. He was a teenager when he moved out of the Gas Plant neighborhood and his family was among the last to leave. Here's what he said:
Carlos Lovett: I lived at 1218 1st Ave. South, right in the Trop parking lot. Yeah. There used to be a big tank right over there —a gas tank. And actually my brother would just go up there, climb the tank with his little BB gun and shoot BBs at us. ... I love this place. I love it."
Andrew: So that is part of Carlos Lovett’s story that he shared with us in the making of the film. And one thing that really impacted me was the amount of emotion that Carlos still carries around related to this history and what happened to him in the Gas Plant neighborhood during that time. … I think we have the benefit of hindsight now, all these years later, when decisions — these are big decisions that administrations make — and it's clear that folks either did not care or just did not understand how these decisions could impact people for generations in decades later. And Carlos' story is one example of just how much someone can be impacted by by these events.
What is your hope for how 'Razed' might impact the St. Petersburg community at large? How has it impacted you?
Tara: So, we really went into this without an intention. ... We really just wanted to share the history and make it easier for people to know what we have come to know over these three years of production. But what I hope people take from this is a new perspective on on redevelopment, on urban development, and what it means to be a community. I think the folks in the film speak so highly of the tight-knit community and the culture of care that they had in the Gas Plant neighborhood. And I think that for me, it has really impacted how I see community building and just how I see a city and how it works. So I want people to take that away.
Andrew: Sure, in the making of this film, I think it's changed my understanding of the word progress. So we hear that a lot lately, and on the other side of progress, there always seems to be some kind of sacrifice made. And when you look back at the at the history of the Gas Plant neighborhood, those residents were asked to sacrifice — not just in the development of what is now Tropicana Field — but many other times throughout their lives. They were the ones that were asked to give something up for the sake of what people thought was the greater good. So it has changed my understanding of what progress can mean, and ultimately how that can impact people for generations.
The film premieres on Saturday, Feb. 22. It's the first of three public screenings this month. More information about how to watch 'Razed' is available here.
