ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg city leaders hosted a meeting Wednesday to get feedback on plans to redevelop the Historic Gas Plant District.
More than 100 people showed up to learn more about plans to redevelop the 86-acre site where the current stadium sits for the Tampa Bay Rays.
The project includes a new ballpark, residential units, affordable housing, retail and hotel space, senior living, conference space, and the Woodson African American Museum of Florida.
Kerfoot Lewis attended the meeting. He lives in St. Pete and has three priorities when it comes to redeveloping the area. He wants to see affordable housing, more retail space for small businesses, and an African-American museum.
"If you're talking about affordable housing and senior housing, what do you define as affordability, and also, how much housing is there going to be for seniors?" he wondered.
Michael Harrison, a regional investment officer for Hines, spoke at the meeting.
"Now is an opportunity for us to get together with the community, listen to the community, understand what their priorities are, and as we need to fine-tune that community benefits package," said Harrison.
On September 19, 2023, a historic agreement was announced as the Tampa Bay Rays said they were here to stay. The City of St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, The Tampa Bay Rays, and the Hines Development Team agreed to move forward with a new state-of-the-art ballpark and the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District.
Nearly 40 years ago, members of the Historic Gas Plant community were displaced by the pursuit of Major League Baseball and the construction of what is now Tropicana Field. Residents and businesses were forced to relocate with the promise of jobs and opportunities, which did not materialize, according to the city's website.
"It had housing, it had churches. It had retail. It had businesses, and people lived, worked, and played there, and now we have an opportunity to fulfill some of those broken promises and create another version of a thriving community," said Harrison.
The First Community Benefits Advisory Council meeting will be held on January 9. Meetings will also be held on January 16, 23, and 30. The purpose of these meetings is to evaluate and offer feedback on the community benefits plan for the Historic Gas Plant Redevelopment.
To learn more about the stadium plans visit: https://www.stpete.org/residents/current_projects/tropicana_field_site.php
