Redevelopment of 86-acre Tropicana Field site begins in St. Pete
/Today the City of St. Petersburg officially kicked off planning for the public/private redevelopment of the Tropicana Field site with the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP). The RFP is seeking submissions from developers to redevelop an 86-acre site in Downtown St. Pete which is currently home to the Tampa Bay Rays.
For years, city and county leaders have touted the site as a once in a generation opportunity to redevelop a large, publicly-owned tract of land in densely populated Pinellas County. Downtown St. Pete’s revitalization over the past decade has only made the site’s redevelopment potential even more attractive.
In 2017 the City contracted planning firm HKS to develop two vision concepts for the site – one with a Rays stadium and one without it. The plans are comparable but with different demand drivers and uses. These vision plans will likely guide developers in creating their redevelopment submissions.
In 2017, planning firm HSK created this conceptual site plan which included infrastructure, developable lots, and potential uses as part of a visioning exercise.
Since the HKS conceptual plans were crafted, uncertainty over the future of the Rays has not been settled.
Regardless, the city wants redevelopment planning of the site to begin.
In the RFP, the city lays out a list of requests they hope submissions will cover. These include mixed-use buildings with retail and residential uses as well as office buildings and other potential demand drivers like a four or five-star hotel with integrated conference center and a university-affiliated technology campus. The city also envisions a significant contiguous park component and public gathering space with Booker Creek and the Pinellas Trail being central features.
Throughout the RFP it is clear that the city understands the historic importance of this site and requires the proposals to provide opportunities for economic equity and inclusion.
Residential elements need to address the 60%, 80%, and 120% of median annual income levels. Additionally, proposals are required to submit a job creation plan that emphasizes employment opportunities for residents of the South St. Petersburg CRA and other traditionally under-served neighborhoods.
Tropicana Field and its surrounding parking lots dominate the western half of Downtown St. Pete.
The RFP also hints at the possibility of the southern side of I-175 being completely removed or scaled back, and suggests all proposals include information on how the Trop site would connect to South St. Petersburg.
Additionally, the city emphasizes the need to take the community’s input into account during the redevelopment process.
All things considered, redeveloping the site will not be easy.
On top of dealing with intense community input, any group submitting a redevelopment proposal will have to factor in a number of variables including a long timeline for a project of this scale as well as the ability to navigate the existing Use Agreement the city has with the Tampa Bay Rays.
According to that agreement, any development that occurs on the site before 2027 would need to be conducted in a way that doesn’t “unreasonably impair” the Rays’ operations. And any parking lost to redevelopment would need to be replaced.
The development areas included in the proposal are outlined in red.
Today’s RFP release is just one step in what will surely be a lengthy, multi-year process. But it’s an important step and one that will ultimately culminate with a new neighborhood anchoring the western half of Downtown St. Petersburg, FL.
Submissions for the RFP are due January 15, 2021 and the City hopes to have an agreement in place with the selected developer by the end of 2021. For more information on the redevelopment of Tropicana Field, visit the city’s website.
