Mayor Ken Welch has frequently noted that former Gas Plant District residents and their descendants have waited 40 years for the site to provide economic revitalization. The wait will soon end.
The city of St. Petersburg is exploring redevelopment opportunities around the site’s outer perimeter to help fulfill long-deferred promises to the predominantly Black community that once called the neighborhood home.
Welch has also signaled a newfound willingness to, under the right conditions, discuss extending the Tampa Bay Rays’ remaining three-year lease at Tropicana Field.
The Rays exited an arduously negotiated $6.5 billion deal with the city and Pinellas County in March.
Administrators met with the team and their development partner, Hines, to “check some legal boxes” Monday before advancing previously established plans.
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“That process would be near-term,” Welch told the Catalyst. “Staff understands the priority there – how we want to move forward. We’ve got all the development rights again, and that is a key piece.”
Welch has prioritized aspects of the redevelopment’s first phase, once expected to commence in January. Those include 100 affordable senior housing units and a new Woodson African American Museum of Florida.
The cultural institution operates from a former community center in Jordan Park, the state’s oldest public housing development. A vastly expanded, state-of-the-art facility accounted for $10 million of the Rays and Hines development team’s $50 million community benefits package.
Welch believes redeveloping some of Tropicana Field’s sprawling surface parking lots could help provide some of the long-awaited community benefits. He said there are “some other things we can put in place” once the city officially terminates its agreement with Hines.
The Rays will play at Tropicana Field through the 2028 season. While that will hinder construction, Welch said the city could commence a planning and design phase for eastern parcels near Interstate 275. “We’ve got some ideas that we’re sharing with the (city) council,” he added.
Officials have discussed building a meeting space in a new Center for the Arts along the downtown waterfront. Welch and some council members would prefer the Gas Plant to house a full-fledged conference center. “The two do kind of work together,” he said of the projects.
The Rays have floated the idea of a 10-year extension at the Trop, with the team, city and county splitting $600 million in stadium upgrades. Welch said a $400 million public investment is “not happening.”
However, he would consider a “more reasonable” request that would keep the Rays in St. Petersburg for five or 10 additional years. He also believes the city potentially could redevelop parts of the 86-acre site while the Trop continues hosting Major League Baseball.
“Obviously, parking is going to be an issue,” Welch said.
The Rays would have built two parking garages to accommodate a redeveloped Gas Plant and a new ballpark. That would likely be a sticking point in any lease negotiations.
Welch will not agree to an extension that includes keeping nearly 50 acres of surface parking lots. “It’s been underutilized for 40 years already,” he reiterated. “So, that’s going to be an issue we need to solve … if the stadium is going to have an extended life.”
Creating a workforce development ecosystem is another priority. While the city’s near-term plans would not create 30,000 jobs like the previous project, it would still foster myriad employment opportunities.
Welch has discussed creating a workforce pipeline to facilitate that process with Tonjua Williams, president of St. Petersburg College. The city will soon convene other local stakeholders to discuss the initiative.
Welch has partnered with Pinellas Technical College on the Mayor’s Future Ready Academy program, which has already graduated two classes. “So, we’ve got a model that works; it’s just how do we expand that going forward. I’m excited about that.”
City officials must decide if they want to sell the land by parcel, provided parking at Tropicana Field remains unaffected for three years. Welch said they could also request development proposals that only encompass the site’s easternmost areas.
The city could also hire a consultant to master plan the entire 86 acres. Welch said administrators and council members are evaluating the various paths forward.
“If we do it ourselves, we need to have a master plan of where pieces are going, where they make the most sense,” he explained. “There can be some select parcels we sell along the way to help fund priorities, like affordable housing.”
Welch called Hines a “good player” in the previous deal. He also noted that “their relationship with the Rays is not something I would embrace going forward,” and any future partnerships would require a “fresh start.”
