$18.3 million approved for new storm-resilient operations building at Southwest Water Reclamation Facility
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The City of St. Pete is moving forward with more than $19 million in major infrastructure upgrades that will strengthen the city’s resilience to hurricanes and improve the reliability of core public works systems.
City Council approved the investment during its November 6th meeting, advancing two projects that target stormwater improvements and long-needed updates at the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility at 3800 54th Avenue South next to Eckerd College.
“These projects support improvements to some of our most critical public works systems and facilities that impact residents’ day-to-day lives,” said Mayor Ken Welch in a prepared statement.
The largest portion of the investment is an $18.3 million Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) proposal for Ajax Building Company.
The City of ST. Pete’s Southwest Water Reclamation Facility is located at 3800 54th Avenue South next to Eckerd College | Google Maps
Under the agreement, Ajax will build a new operations and maintenance building at the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility.
The current facility has been in operation for more than 50 years and several of its existing buildings no longer meet modern requirements for emergency response or daily operations.
City officials described the current structures as outdated and vulnerable. For instance, they are not hurricane-rated and they sit below the level needed for staff to safely shelter in place during a storm.
The new building will be a three-story, 14,000-square-foot facility elevated to approximately 22 feet. It will be constructed with masonry walls, precast floors, and steel roof framing capable of withstanding wind speeds of around 170 miles per hour.
Site plan for the new three-story building at the southwest Water Reclamation Facility in St. Pete | city of st. petersburg
Once complete, the building will consolidate multiple functions into one resilient hub, including space for operations and maintenance staff who may need to remain on site during a hurricane.
The project is being partially funded by an $8.87 million grant from the Resilient Florida Program.
City Council also approved a separate agreement with Jacobs Engineering Group, which will receive $770,504 to lead the first phase of the Citywide Stormwater System Conveyance Restoration Assessment Project.
The work includes inspecting and evaluating up to 35 miles of stormwater pipes and drains, checking the accuracy of the city’s master infrastructure map, setting up better long-term tracking tools, and creating a clearer system for how stormwater inspection data is collected and shared.
The Southwest Water Reclamation facility in St. Pete | haskell
The goal is to identify system weaknesses and improve how the city tracks and manages its stormwater network.
The selection of Jacobs follows a competitive evaluation process that began with a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in late 2023.
“Climate change impacts are intensifying and my administration is committed to improving the overall resiliency of our public works systems so we can better serve our residents,” said Welch.
Elevations of the new three-story building at the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility compared to the existing single-story building | city of st. petersburg
