Tropicana Field parking lots could be grave sites

Those buried in 3 cemeteries were to have been moved, but it’s possible the job was not done.

ST. PETERSBURG — Thirty years ago, residents stepped forward when the city prepared to pave parking lots 1 and 2 for Tropicana Field. They thought caskets were under those 12 acres on the corner of 16th Street S, spreading from Third to Fifth avenues. It was once the home to Oaklawn Cemetery, the city was told, and bodies were likely left behind when it was moved in the mid-20th century. Oaklawn was adjacent to two other cemeteries. In 1976, human remains were unearthed from one of those properties during construction, years after the burial grounds were supposed to have been moved, bolstering the belief that bodies were also under the parking lot land. But the land was paved without further investigation. “More should have been done. It was the right thing to do,” said Louis Claudio, a self-proclaimed “avocational archaeologist.” The city plans to redevelop the 86-acre Tropicana site in coming years. When it does, more due diligence will be required than in 1990. The University of South Florida’s Florida Public Archaeology Network has registered the property with the state as a historic cemetery site. It believes human remains could be under those lots. The designation brings state oversight, so “future developments might require an archaeological survey to make sure human remains are not damaged or destroyed,” network archaeologist Rebecca O’Sullivan said. A survey would include rolling ground-penetrating radar that can detect graves across the full 12 acres. It was a technology available in 1990 — but not as commonly used as today.

FULL STORY

Reporter: By Paul Guzzo -- Times Staff Writer

Word Count: 1328

Publication: Tampa Bay Times

Section: A DESK