"It's an art project and also a community development project and an economic driver for the community at large."

It's not just artists who see the potential of the Warehouse Arts Distric in St. Petersburgt. A Polish vodka distillery, a high-tech company, a custom furniture maker and a real estate investor who spent $1.7 million buying up property last year see it too.

The Warehouse Arts District runs between First Avenue N and 10th Avenue S, from 16th Street to 31st Street. It comprises an estimated 50 buildings of all sizes, some occupied but most vacant.

When the Pinellas Trail, which cuts through the district, was a railroad decades ago, the buildings were humming with employees and activity. They housed refrigerated storage for produce, sailboat builders and an industrial laundry.

Read more at the Tampa Bay Times.