Historic Gas Plant District

Lakeland residents face higher electric bills, while a Senate bill transferring USF Sarasota-Manatee land to New College vanishes — leaving both energy costs and campus plans in uncertainty.

On "Florida Matters Live & Local," St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch took listeners' calls and addressed several topics, including the redevelopment of the historic Gas Plant District.

Mayor Ken Welch said now is not the time to stop any progress that has been made in what would become the largest redevelopment project in the city's history.

It’s hard to have a conversation about what a place can be without talking about the way it was. Such is the case with the current Tropicana Field site.

The number of submissions is down to eight after the city of St. Petersburg website listed a development from Tempo Novus as withdrawn.

Members of the St. Petersburg City Council want to pause negotiations over the redevelopment of Tropicana Field. They're concerned the city has no updated plan for the 84-acre Historic Gas Plant district.

A collaboration with Moffitt Cancer Center is now part of one plan to reimagine the area around Tropicana Field. However, the renowned cancer institution already has a home in St. Petersburg.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred each gave their backing to building a new ballpark at Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus. But few details emerged on who's going to pay for it.

Mayor Ken Welch reiterated Monday that the city has spent over a decade planning for the Gas Plant’s future. Those efforts included two studies, “both with a stadium and without a stadium.”

Two potential redevelopment teams have expanded their rosters. An idea also includes affordable housing within the reimagined Gas Plant District.

While a new redevelopment proposal for St. Petersburg's Historic Gas Plant District also includes the museum, its current home is in desperate need of upgrades.

They have until Feb. 3 to pitch their plans to redevelop the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District.