St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation is seeking nearly $1.5 million to fund upgrades and much-needed renovations to bandshell in downtown’s Williams Park, as part of an effort to revitalize and reactivate the historic space.

The park, which sits between 3rd and 4th Street and 1st and 2nd Avenue North, is St Pete’s first. Founded in 1888 and originally called City Park before being renamed for the city’s co-founder, John Constantine Williams Sr., it was the historic center of the community for much of St. Pete’s early history. The first Williams Park bandshell was constructed in 1895 after a fence was built to keep wandering livestock from entering to graze. 

The modern bandshell was designed in 1954 by local architect William Harvard and received both the Award of Merit and Test of Time Award from the American Institute of Architects.

More recently, the park has served as the site for the beloved Saturday Morning Market in the summer months and Localtopia, the community’s annual celebration of all things local.

Despite its historic and design significance, parts of the bandshell structure, which consists of a stage area, backstage space, public restrooms, and storage space, have fallen into disrepair, prompting Parks and Recreation to commission local firm Harvard Jolly Architecture to conduct a feasibility study for improvements in 2019.

That study identified $780,000 in needed repairs to the bandshell and just over $500,000 in upgrade opportunities. Repairs range from major, such as replacing the bandshell’s deteriorated roof panels for up to $457,600, to minor, including repairing bathroom wall tile.

Proposed upgrades include providing collapsible staging platforms and noise control features to accommodate larger events, upgrading and enlarging the existing back-of-house space, and improving handicap accessibility across the property. 

“We are at a point where the bill is coming due for the maintenance piece,” noted Bryan Eichler, Assistant Director of St. Pete Parks and Recreation. “And the list of upgrades are things that any modern talent would require that we don’t currently have out there.”

The vision, he says, is to reactivate the space for the modern downtown community with more concerts, performances, and community events.

“Williams Park is such a cool park with a unique history. The bandshell itself is such a neat piece of architecture and with the right upgrades, it would be a prime spot for new programming and some of the events we now have on the waterfront,” emphasized Eichler.

Potential offerings range from daily community gatherings, like yoga and fitness classes in the park, to large scale performances on the bandshell from organizations like American Stage Theatre Company and The Florida Orchestra, both of which have already expressed interest in using the space once the necessary modern technological upgrades are installed.

Parks and Recreation is working closely with the St. Petersburg Downtown Neighborhood Association (St. Pete DNA) to identify what the neighborhood most wants to see.

Recently, St. Pete DNA announced a new yoga class to be held in Williams Park every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The first class will be March 16th. 

“The community has a genuine affection for the park and views it as a piece of St. Petersburg’s history,” noted Karen Carmichael, President of St. Pete DNA. “Our hope is that in five years the stage renovations are complete and the park is viewed as a community gathering place. We would like to see residents, visitors, and downtown workers using the park daily.”

The project is still in early stages of planning. According to Eichler, the goal is to fund the project through the Penny for Pinellas Capital Improvement Fund, which is budgeted in ten year increments and requires approval first from the mayor’s team and then from City Council, who ultimately controls how much funding could be allocated.

“Our goal is to get Council to move the project into the current round of funding, as opposed to waiting for the next ten year period,” said Eichler. “If the project is even greenlighted - and we haven’t even done plans yet, we’ve just done a study - we fully intend to look at grant opportunities, like historic preservation grants and even some infrastructure grants that could be applicable to this,” he explained.

Currently, Parks and Recreation is working with City administration on its Capital Improvement Budget and Operating Budget. If City Council ultimately approves the budget at the end of the summer, grant applications and official plans could be explored as soon as the new fiscal year begins in October.

In the meantime, those who are interested in hosting community events at Williams Park should contact Karen Carmichael of St. Pete DNA at president@stpetedna.org. Those wanting to rent the park for art shows or entertainment should contact Bryan Eichler of St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation at Bryan.Eichler@stpete.org.