A 3.6-acre church campus in south St. Pete could soon become a new hub for youth arts education, as the Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts looks to acquire and repurpose the property into a community arts center.

The foundation has launched a $10 million capital campaign to purchase the site at 5995 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South and convert it into the Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts Community Arts Center.

The 26,155-square-foot property is currently home to Lakewood United Methodist Church and Alegria Montessori School.

Built in 1958, the campus includes a 396-seat sanctuary, a smaller chapel, a two-story educational building with a fenced-in playground and covered outdoor play area, as well as a fellowship hall, kitchen, and office space.

A long-term vision for the city’s port could reshape the Bayboro Harbor waterfront just south of downtown St. Pete, but early reactions from city officials suggest the path forward remains uncertain.

The approximately 4.4-acre portion of the city-owned Port of St. Petersburg at 250 8th Avenue SE is being studied for a potential redevelopment that could include a public park, cruise terminal, superyacht marina, waterfront promenades, and dining options.

Located within the Innovation District and surrounded by major institutions — including the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus to the west, Albert Whitted Airport to the north, and the U.S. Coast Guard to the east — the site is seen as an opportunity to expand both public access and maritime activity.

At a March 12th Public Services and Infrastructure Committee meeting, consultants from Moffatt & Nichol presented a draft master plan that reimagines the port as a mixed-use waterfront destination.

An undeveloped stretch of property on 22nd Street South may become the site of a modern community hub with spaces specifically designed to educate and house non-profits and start-up businesses, with the goal of fostering new economic momentum for south St. Pete.

Pinellas County Urban League, Inc. (PCUL), an organization dedicated to empowering African Americans and underserved communities in the county, has submitted a 64-page proposal to the City of St. Petersburg to develop the property on 22nd Street South between 6th Avenue South and Fairfield Avenue South.

The proposal, submitted in December 2025, calls for a two-story, 28,000-square-foot building, referred to as the Sankofa Empowerment Center, which would offer a mix of Class A office, retail, food service, and flex spaces alongside a 6,000-square-foot rooftop terrace and lounge to host year-round events.

PCUL would relocate its corporate headquarters from 31st Street North in Kenwood to a 3,000-square-foot space on the second floor of the center.