The long-awaited decision for redeveloping the Historic Gas Plant District has been made, and it once again includes tearing down Tropicana Field.
At a press conference this morning , St. Petersburg mayor Ken Welch confirmed that The Burg Bid proposal—which was leaked by Florida Politics editor Peter Schorch on Tuesday—will lead the district’s redevelopment.
Initial bidders Ark Ellison Horus, Foundation Vision Partners, Freedom Communities, Logical Sites and Partners, Reparations Land Trust and Development Authority and Tampa Bay Boom were outbid for the project.
Thompson Blake Whitney, CEO of St. Pete-based private equity and real estate firm Blake Investment Partners, emphasized his priorities for affordable housing and a remodeled Woodson African American museum.
When asked which project will be prioritized for construction, Whitney said, “Woodson becomes the lead and everything else revolves around the outcome of the lease [the Rays have with Tropicana Field].”
The Rays have a non-binding agreement for a $2.3 billion baseball stadium in Tampa’s Drew Park, where Hillsborough Community College sits.
“I can’t think of a more meaningful way to spend my life than helping this city become everything it’s capable of being,” Whitney said.
The proposal offered $275 million to the city with a $20 million deposit for 58-acres of the total 86 acre historic Gas Plant District appraised by two different entities at nearly $400 million.
The cost for developing the encompassing projects is priced at $8.1 billion, with three phases estimated to be completed over 15 years.
Companies included in the development team are Related, Blue Sky Communities, Elliot, Skankska, MODO,WJ Architects, Zyscovich, McCants, W Architecture, Mario Gooden Studio, Wade Trim, Langan, Onyx, Aligned Engineering, St. Pete Housing Authority, Spatial HQ, Stadler Development, CareerSource, Driftwood Hospitality, Great Explorations, Boys and Girls Club, Young BD, Gilbane, KAST, Open Realty Advisers, Light Foster, Gillie and Marc, Greystar and Johnson Pope.
The press conference was held at Campbell Park just a block over from the Rays stadium. Welch spoke on making the future right for the original Gas Plant District community—a largely Black, working class population displaced with broken promises of opportunity when the city acquired the land for Tropicana Field in 1990.
“Today, we take an important step forward in turning that potential into real and tangible progress,” Welch said.
“No one said it better, I think, than a woman who grew up in the gas plant and in a community input session,” Welch continued. “She said… ‘All of the businesses were Black-owned, rent was reasonable, and no one ever got evicted. It was a close community. We felt safe and unafraid in our neighbourhood. That was my neighbourhood. I had to say this because no one else has said it.’ “Well today we hear you and today we begin to answer the call for progress.”
Housing
Alongside the Burg Bid, the Pinellas County Housing Authority’s bid was also selected to develop a seven-story, 80-unit affordable senior housing community at the City-owned parking lot located at 1659 3rd Ave. S.
When asked about rent for affordable senior housing units, PCHA Executive Director Neil Brickfield said costs will be based on Average Median Income.
“No apartment will be more than 80 percent of AMI, and some will be lower,” Brickfield said. “AMI changes, and today it would be $600 a month.”
Tearing down the Trop
Asked if there were plans to demolish Tropicana Field after millions of dollars were poured into the stadium, Welch responded, “At some point in the future after 2030 or so that will be the plan.”
About $30 million was spent on stadium repairs after its roof blew off during Hurricane Milton in 2024, which has been reimbursed from FEMA and insurance, with plans to get most of that money back for Tropicana Field.
“We have always said we will honor our commitment to the Rays through 2028 and if things don’t work out in Tampa and Hillsborough and if they need a one- to two-year extension. We’re open to talking about that if it makes sense for the city.”
Museums and public transit
Projects in the Burg Bid proposal will offer an income-restricted 3,600 unit apartment and a concept to redesign the Woodson African American Museum, which will be modeled after traditional African women’s head wraps.
The museum will be a central focus for the project, “honoring the site’s history while establishing a new cultural landmark for the city,” according to the executive summary in the proposal.
A new Museum of Public Art is proposed within walking distance from Woodson and will house a permanent collection by sculpture artists Gillie and Marc Schattner, who are listed as a part of the development team.
The project also includes a bus transit system linking the district to the downtown area, the Discovery Museum spearheaded by Great Explorations and the new Samuel Davis Park.
Next steps
The next phase for the city of St. Pete will include an open meeting for public comment hosted by the Community Benefits Advisory Council and a members only discussion between the council.
Both meetings will be held sometime in July and will follow with Mayor Welch and city staff to begin negotiating a term sheet and contract for approval by City Council.
Today’s announcement comes after the selection process was put on pause by city council members back in February. Council Member Brandi Gabbard, who is running against Welch for mayor, proposed a resolution requiring the city to hear a foundational framework supported by independent city planners and city businesses before moving forward with any decisions.
This isn’t the first time a project has been selected to redevelop the area. In 2020, then-mayor Rick Kriseman had plans with Alex Vidia and Midtown Development to redevelop the district, which Welch cancelled as he took office in 2022.
The following year, he announced an initial plan with the Tampa Bay Rays and real estate investment company Hines to redevelop the 86 acres. After Hurricane Milton damaged Tropicana Field, the Rays abandoned the plan in March 2024 and it was terminated by City Council soon after.
This article appears in July 02 – 08, 2026.
