News from St. Petersburg: Sad hotel turns into gay resort, the Flamingo, on 34th Street S

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Reinhardt and Baker say transforming the rundown property was made easier with help from the city. The former JMS Hotel made news last fall when city officials declared it unsafe for the more than a dozen families, including 24 children, who made it their home. The hotel's electricity had been shut off because of unpaid bills, and the water was about to be turned off. While the residents found places to live with help from city and county social services agencies, the property, which had been going through foreclosure proceedings, appeared destined to sit empty into the foreseeable future.

For that reason, when Baker and Reinhardt announced plans to renovate it, the city supported the project, Deputy Mayor Dave Metz said.

"We knew that these are tough economic times,'' he said. "We gave them a little extra effort and attention. It's very nice to see this project come to fruition.''