$25 million AI-focused Science Center breaks ground in west St. Pete
/A rendering of the new 50,000-square-foot, four-story St. Pete Science Center, focused on AI learning and emerging technologies | St Petersburg Science Center
For decades, nearly every kid who grew up in St. Pete remembers taking a field trip to the Science Center in west St. Pete. Now, after more than 10 years of vacancy, the civic landmark is set to be reborn as a tech-forward hub for young minds and local entrepreneurs.
With golden shovels in hand, St. Pete for STEAM, a local team led by The St. Petersburg Group (SPG), joined city officials Friday to celebrate the groundbreaking for the reimagined Science Center property at 7701 22nd Avenue North.
Working with Tampa-based general contractor The Sinclair Group, St. Pete for STEAM plans to begin construction in April on the new 50,000-square-foot, four-story center focused on AI learning and emerging technologies.
“We are living in a time of extraordinary transformation. Intelligence technologies are blooming and reshaping our economy, communities, and daily lives,” Joe Hamilton, publisher of the St. Pete Catalyst and co-founder of The St. Petersburg Group, said during the event.
With golden shovels in hand, city officials and stakeholders celebrated the groundbreaking of a reimagined Science Center property in west St. Pete | City of st. petersburg
“Our people, businesses, non-profits, and governments need to be ready for AI. We need to see it, engage it, and master it. If you cannot reach for it, you cannot see. So at the Science Center, we are going to turn those lights on so everyone can see.”
The center’s rebirth, paired with an expanded slate of programs, represents a new phase for STEAM education in St. Pete.
Hamilton has outlined an ambitious $25 million plan to restore and expand the facility.
At its heart would be the Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence (AICOE), focused on AI education, research, and workforce development through classes, labs, summits, and community programming.
The AI Village, an area of the new St. Pete Science Center where students can learn about emerging technologies in an AI infused world | St. Petersburg Science Center
Plans also include creative new spaces such as the AI Village, an interactive exhibit designed to teach artificial intelligence concepts through hands-on learning; the Cityverse Hybritorium, a hybrid event venue for in-person and virtual audiences; and the Star Garden, a rooftop gathering space for events and stargazing.
There will also be an AI-themed café called Cafai.
Additionally, the project will restore nostalgic elements from the original campus, including the Planetarium and the Historic Mosaic Trail, a hand-painted tile walkway celebrating American heritage.
“It has a historic trail and a tranquil garden right up against a cutting-edge AI lab, all while a wedding rehearsal is taking place in the Star Garden on the roof,” Hamilton said.
Opened in 1966, the Science Center was a hub for STEM education in Pinellas County for nearly 60 years.
St. Petersburg Science Center’s Cityverse Hybritorium, a hybrid event venue for in-person and virtual audiences | St. Petersburg Science Center
For decades, the center offered after-school and weekend classes for students from kindergarten through middle school in subjects such as biology, chemistry, electronics, and astronautics. At its peak, about 22,000 children visited the Science Center each school year.
The building closed in 2014 and was later purchased by CareerSource Pinellas before the City of St. Petersburg bought it in 2019 for $3.15 million.
The St. Petersburg Group submitted an unsolicited proposal in 2023 to purchase the property from the city for $1.25 million.
Late last year, the city paused sale negotiations as Mayor Welch considered using the site to expand capacity at the Northwest Water Reclamation Facility.
The Science Center’s Cafai, an AI-themed Cafe | St. Petersburg Science Center
City Council members, however, pushed back, arguing that while planning for future infrastructure needs is important, the Science Center site should be preserved for community use. The mayor ultimately acquiesced.
In October 2025, Council unanimously approved selling the 3.9-acre property for $1.6 million.
The redevelopment team has already raised more than $15 million toward its $25 million goal. State Sen. Darryl Rouson and Rep. Berny Jacques championed the $800,000 state appropriation announced in September 2025. In 2024, they secured $2.5 million for the effort.
St. Pete for STEAM will continue raising the remaining funds to complete the project, with plans to open the center by 2027 in time to launch summer educational programming and camps for the following school year.
