Pinellas Closes Seminole Water Tower Station Park

SEMINOLE, FL – Pinellas County announced it closed the park surrounding the Seminole Water Tower Station, a well-known landmark in the Seminole area.

The county closed Green at Seminole Water Tower as contractors begin preparing the defunct water station for demolition. The contractor is currently locating supply lines to be capped before a demolition contractor begins work.

Fencing is scheduled to be installed around the perimeter of the property within the next few weeks.

The station was once part of water distribution infrastructure operated by Pinellas County Utilities. Built in the 1950s, the Seminole Water Tower Station was used for decades before it was taken out of service in 2012 when new utility technology made it obsolete.

Despite the facility not being used since 2012, ongoing annual maintenance costs amount to more than $13,000, compounded by deferred maintenance expenses estimated at $125,000, according to a Pinellas County press release.

“The demolition will save Utilities rate payers money and prevent continuing deterioration of the tower with the potential to create a public safety hazard,” the release said.

Before the decision was made to demolish the structure, Pinellas County offered the City of Seminole several opportunities to purchase or lease the property. The city’s leadership declined the options and no agreement could be reached, according to the Pinellas County press release.

There is also a grass roots effort to save the water tower. According to the Save the Seminole Water Tower Facebook page, the water tower provides the City of Seminole with a visible landmark that can be seen from the Gulf beaches.

“This sweet park includes not only a huge Water Tower, with a once spectacular public art/birdcage motif on the tank, but also a Pump House, and beautiful landscaping, walking paths, benches, gazebo (and) info placards,” the creators of the Facebook page said.

Demolition work on the tower is expected to be completed in November.

“Pinellas County Utilities is obligated by its financial duty to its customers to limit liability for the aging structure and recover the investment made in the land,” Pinellas County said in the press release. “By selling the property, Pinellas County Utilities will further uphold its duty to its customers by returning the funds to the Utilities Water Fund – a separate utility enterprise funded by water utility customers. This will help keep utility rates affordable, while ensuring the revenue can be reinvested in the utility system toward maintenance, operations and other critical services.”

Image and video courtesy of Seminole Historical Society YouTube channel