ST. PETERSBURG —
Walking around the historical former YMCA building downtown, local music promoter Thomas Nestor doesn’t seem to notice the crumbling brickwork or rusted iron.
Stepping over the dusty, rubble-strewn floor, he pitches his plan to transform the building into an interactive music museum to potential investors and curious locals. The cavernous old gymnasium could become a 2,000-seat concert hall, he says enthusiastically; the tiled courtyard an impromptu gathering spot for open-air music.