Rest in Peace, in Downtown St. Pete

8.25.10

If you love the ‘Burg so much you want to be buried in Downtown St. Pete, The City Peace Garden may be the permanent resting space just for you.

According to their release, 55% of Florida deaths last year resulted in cremation—that’s almost twice the amount of the rest of Southeast. However, in St. Petersburg, nearly 70% were cremated making it one of the highest among national statistics.

They attribute the growing popularity of cremation to the convenience for family members spread apart geographically, cost, and with no large plots of land required, that it is friendlier to the environment.

Located at the former First Baptist Church, 120 Fourth St. N, The City Peace Garden hopes to start welcoming their first permanent tenants in late 2010 or early 2011 and it looks like pets may be accepted as well.

The façade of the sanctuary has been restored and will be used as a focal point of the project. Cremated remains will be stored in approximately 10,000 12x12x12 niches throughout the landscaped garden and inside the restored sanctuary.



We were a little confused if the project was still on, so we contacted the City which assured us it still is. However, calls for comment went unreturned, but you can find out more on their website.