Community leaders call for more local control over development of St. Pete’s Tropicana Field site

On Monday morning, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch selected the Tampa Bay Rays & Hines proposal for redevelopment of the city’s Gas Plant. Hines, a Texas-based mega-developer, offered St. Pete the most money for development rights ($1.8 billion) and the fastest site development timeline (guaranteed by the season opener of 2028).

After the Gas Plant redevelopment announcement, another press conference in response took place on the city hall steps. Community members and the Affordable Pinellas Coalition gathered to ask city leadership for more local power in the Gas Plant redevelopment construction.

Alexa Manning, with Faith in Florida, was raised in the Gas Plant neighborhood where the new project will be developed.

“The city of St. Petersburg promised to redevelop the Gas Plant community, and that promise was broken,” Manning said Monday. “Please keep at least part of that promise by not selling the land.”

The 86 acres that once housed a historic Black community will become a new ballpark, senior housing facility, and new Carter Woodson African American History Museum. The Hines proposal only includes 23% projected affordable housing units, the lowest of the four proposals.

The company stated it would donate $15 million to fund rental assistance programs in lieu of building the affordable housing the community has asked for as part of this project.

City councilman Richie Floyd says the city-owned Gas Plant area could be redeveloped like any other city asset, like the Jamestown Apartments or the city parks. St. Pete keeps relying on private developers to create affordable housing, and Floyd says that requires those developers to make a profit.

“The city can run housing just so people can live,” Floyd said. “We have a housing crisis because we rely on people who want to make a buck off of our living to provide that housing, and we don’t have to continue to do that.”

Floyd says the city’s community benefits agreement process could see some local gains for the Gas Plant project.

“This will be our second project going through the community benefits agreement process, and it’s vitally important that every resident makes their voice heard,” Floyd said.
One of the things the community benefits agreement process could negotiate as part of the Gas Plant redevelopment is built-in union labor contracts and apprenticeships, guaranteed affordable housing, and higher wages for other laborers. Jim Junecko, with the West Central Florida AFL-CIO, says the city already has the charter to provide union contracts and apprenticeships.

“Let’s get the responsible contractors on there who are willing to pay good wages and provide health care benefits to workers and help the next generation of skilled workers,” Junecko told CL. “We can do this together and urge the city council to let unions have a seat at the table.”

During the community conversations hosted by the city and Mayor Welch, affordable housing was the residents’ first concern in the Gas Plant redevelopment. Jerry Funt, with the Dream Defenders said with the Rays/Hines proposal selection, the city has chosen an out-of-town developer and a project with the lowest dedicated affordable housing percentage.

“Affordable housing is getting worse and worse throughout the country, but especially Tampa Bay,” Funt, added. “This is not an issue that can’t be solved.”

“Those 86 acres are the goose that lays the golden eggs,” Floyd said. “Selling off that goose would be a huge travesty.”

This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2023.