$20.4M Awarded For Infrastructure Projects In St. Pete: City

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — St. Petersburg will receive $20.4 million in grant funding through the state’s “Resilient Florida” initiative for infrastructure projects, the city said in a news release.

The funds, awarded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection, will be used for projects related to stormwater flooding and water reclamation.

"We have an intentional focus on partnerships and seeking grant opportunities. These Resilient Florida Program funds will enable the City to make necessary infrastructure improvements that will mitigate flooding and increase utility service reliability," Mayor Kenneth T. Welch said. "Investing in improvements that upgrade aging infrastructure is a top priority for my administration. These types of opportunities help to strengthen St. Pete's framework and systems."

The city will spend nearly $11.6 million to mitigate stormwater flooding at Lake Maggiore in the Salt Creek basin.

Nearly $10.7 million will be used for the Basic C Resiliency Salt Creek Outfall Pump Station and $900,000 on Basic C Resiliency Salt Creek Conveyance improvements, the city said.

The city will also replace maintenance buildings at water reclamation facilities to increase service reliability and safety during extreme weather, including hurricanes.

About $4.8 million will be spent to replace the building at the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility while about $4.1 million is earmarked for the Northeast Operations and Maintenance Buildings Replacement Project.

These projects align with the city’s water plan, which is “a holistic 20-year plan to address St. Pete’s aging water infrastructure,” as well as the mayor’s Pillar for Progress: Environment, Infrastructure & Resilience, the city said.