St. Petersburg is hoping the federal government will help fund roadway improvements around the Historic Gas Plant District. Local officials say they’re aiming to turn some one-way roads into two-way corridors.
Much of the area in and around the Historic Gas Plant District was fragmented with the construction of I-275. That led to many in the historically Black neighborhood being displaced.
Tampa-area U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor says the city is hoping a new grant opportunity will right some of those wrongs.
"What obviously needs to happen is building greater cohesiveness across his community,” Castor said at a news conference earlier in the week. “When you do that, you can provide more housing that is attainable and affordable. You can create the walkable community that so many of our neighbors are crying out for."
The potential $1.2 million grant would look at converting 8th St and MLK Jr. Street into two-way roads with improvements to bike lanes and pedestrian infrastructure.
This also comes as a new stadium deal is being reviewed by the St. Petersburg City Commission and Pinellas County Commission, which are the final steps toward keeping the Tampa Bay Rays in the area.
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch grew up in the Historic Gas Plant District.
“In addition to addressing injustices of the past and disparities of the present, this project will support the planned equitable redevelopment of this site by reconnecting neighborhoods that were divided by the interstate to downtown and other areas of the city,” Welch said.
Welch also said he was happy that the study can work alongside the development of the district, which will include the ballpark, along with entertainment and residential units.
Terri Lipsey-Scott leads the Carter Woodson African American Museum. She says the grant offers the city the chance to make up for past transportation decisions.
"The reconnecting the Historic Gas Plant District project is a beacon of hope,” Lipsey-Scott said. “It aspires to mend the wounds of the past and rebuild the social tapestry of our communities."
If St. Petersburg gets the grant, city officials say the study for the project would take a year and a half to complete.
