St. Petersburg City Council urges pause on Gas Plant redevelopment
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Council member Brandi Gabbard (fifth from left) championed a resolution urging Mayor Ken Welch to pump the brakes on the Historic Gas Plant District redevelopment. Photo: Kathryn Varn/Axios
St. Petersburg City Council members on Thursday sent a strong message to Mayor Ken Welch when it comes to developing the Historic Gas Plant District: Pump the brakes.
Why it matters: The message dampens momentum on a project the mayor was eager to launch as his reelection campaign gets underway.
- Doing right by the Black residents who once lived on the 86 acres where Tropicana Field now sits has been a cornerstone of Welch's mayoral agenda.
- The window for developers to share their ideas on how to transform the prime real estate closed Tuesday. Nine submitted proposals.
State of play: A resolution proposed by council member Brandi Gabbard called for city administration to engage residents, businesses and community organizations in a big-picture planning and prioritization process before selecting a developer.
- The measure — approved 6-2, with council members Deborah Figgs-Sanders and Copley Gerdes dissenting — is merely a statement of the council's position. It doesn't hold Welch to any action.
Yes, but: Any Gas Plant proposal chosen by the administration would be subject to City Council approval.
What they're saying: "We are not just voting on a resolution," Gabbard said. "We are deciding how history will remember our stewardship for St. Petersburg's most valuable remaining asset."
- "This is not about slowing down. This is about leveling up," she said.
- Gabbard also reminded her colleagues of their unanimous agreement last year to bring in the Urban Land Institute — a long-standing network of land-use and real estate experts — to examine how best to use the land.
The other side: In a statement after Thursday's vote, Welch said he's forging ahead, although he'll ask city staff to clarify what more planning would look like and how it could apply to their assessment of this week's proposals.
- "I have been clear since the termination of the Rays agreement last March that our focus would be not [to] start over, but to build on the extensive community dialogue and planning to date," he said.
- "No final development agreement will be approved without transparency, public engagement and City Council action."
Between the lines: The friction offers a preview of what will likely be a major issue defining the mayoral race.
- Gabbard declared her intention last year to challenge Welch, although she hasn't formally filed yet.
- A third mayoral candidate, former NAACP St. Petersburg president Maria Scruggs, spoke during the meeting in favor of Gabbard's resolution.
Editor's note: This story was updated to add a statement from Mayor Ken Welch.