St. Pete Seeks Input On West Central Business Corridor Design

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- The city of St. Petersburg is beginning work on design updates along the West Central Business District of the city.

The district - which stretches along the Central Avenue corridor from Park Street on the west to 58th Street on the east - is the latest section of Central to come under the city's revival initiatives.

The West Central Avenue Streetscape Project encompasses three components: branding, streetscape design and water main replacement. This update to the West Central Master Plan will be guided by public input as it establishes a vision and a brand for the area.

The project is slated for construction to begin in late 2019 and for completion in late 2020. Funding will be provided by Penny for Pinellas and the St. Petersburg Water Resources Department.

In 2012, the city created the Central Avenue Revitalization Plan in response to the desire to create a “unified vision for Central Avenue that allows the individual districts to develop and maintain their unique identities.” Since 2012, the Central Arts, Edge and Grand Central Districts have undergone street improvements, contributing to the economic vibrancy of those areas. Key Project Information

What’s in store for West Central Avenue?

1. Reconstructing curb and curb ramps, sidewalks, and driveways for safety and ADA compliance.
2. Replacing span wires with new mast arm traffic signal poles at three intersections.
3. Enhancing crosswalks at four intersections.
4. Potentially installing new landscape medians and pedestrian crossings along the corridor.
5. Addressing street lighting.
6. Creating a brand for the West Central District for future implementation.

While the West Central Streetscape Project is under construction, the city will also be replacing the water main with an 8-inch waterline along the northern edge of the roadway and place most meters underground.

The designs will be implemented in conjunction with the city's Complete Streets Plan. This takes into account all users of the roadway, including those walking, riding bicycles or public transit, and driving cars.

The city will be conducting public workshops to gather feedback from the community over the next several weeks:

* Saturday, Oct. 27 at 10:30 a.m. at Freefall Theater, 6099 Central Ave.

* Monday, Oct. 29 at 5:30 p.m. at St. Petersburg College Gibbs Campus, 6605 Fifth Ave. N,, Science Building SC 232

* Thursday Nov, 8 at 10:30 a.m. at Brentwood at St. Petersburg Assisted Living, 6280 Central Ave.

Project engineers and design consultants will be in attendance to answer questions.

Click here to take an online survey. For more information, click here.

Image via St. Pete

(For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)