St. Pete Mayor Selects Team For Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Mayor Kenneth T. Welch selected two of the four shortlisted proposals for the Historic Gas Plant District redevelopment project.

The Pinellas County Housing Authority and The Burg Bid will redevelop separate parts of the site, St. Pete officials announced Thursday.

The other two shortlisted developers, chosen from nine proposals submitted to the city for the districy, which includes Tropicana Field, were Ark Ellison Horus LLC and Foundation Vision Partners.

Welch's final selections followed multiple public comment opportunities, an evaluation of each proposal's strengths and weaknesses, two meetings with shortlisted development teams, and site visits to Tampa Bay-area projects.

Community input helped guide the process, with proposals measured against priorities that included jobs, housing, economic opportunity and honoring promises made when the land was first acquired.

"The Historic Gas Plant District has held the promise of progress for St. Petersburg for decades and today we take an important step forward in turning potential into real, tangible progress. Community feedback and input guided the selection process and I'm proud to announce two partnerships — with Pinellas County Housing Authority and The Burg Bid team — that align with the community's priorities for jobs, housing, economic opportunity, and honoring promises made," Welch said.

The Pinellas County Housing Authority was selected to develop affordable senior housing on the parcel at 1659 3rd Ave. South.

This proposal includes a seven-story, 80-unit affordable senior housing community that targets lower-income seniors, with an emphasis on very low-income seniors, and gives preference to seniors who formerly resided in the Historic Gas Plant District.

The Burg Bid development team, led by Thompson Whitney Blake, was selected for the larger portion of the 86-acre site.

This proposal includes more than 3,600 units of affordable and workforce housing, new public infrastructure, a large park dedicated to showcasing museums and other cultural landmarks, and a workforce training and small business success center.

"As we enter the next chapter for the Historic Gas Plant District, I want to thank every development team for submitting intentional and thoughtful proposals. The quality of competition made this a better process and allowed us to re-envision the potential opportunities for this land,” Welch said.

The city will now begin negotiations, develop a term sheet and bring agreements to the city council for approval. A final agreement must be approved by the city council before ground can be broken.

The Burg Bid proposal will also go through the city's Community Benefits Agreement Program, including selection of a Community Benefits Advisory Council Project Committee and public engagement on proposed community benefits and impacts.

The Pinellas County Housing Authority proposal will not move through that process because the project is 100 percent affordable and workforce housing, though its final agreement also requires city council approval.

See Also:

• Meet The Developers Behind Historic Gas Plant Redevelopment Proposals
• St. Pete City Council Candidates Weigh In On Historic Gas Plant District Proposals
• Tampa Bay Rays Abandon $1.3B St. Pete Stadium Deal
• St. Pete Woman Transforms Tropicana Field's Hurricane Roof Debris Into Art