Each year, The Morean Arts Center welcomes more than 90,000 visitors to its downtown St. Pete property. Now, the arts hub looks to the future with expansion plans that would greatly increase its footprint on Central Avenue.

The Morean Arts Center, which contains an amazing contemporary art gallery and offers art classes, is in the early planning stages for a new five-story state-of-the-art building.

The plans call for demolishing the current 27,000-square-foot facility at 719 Central Avenue to make way for the new building, which would contain more gallery space, offices, parking, and an expanded Chihuly Collection.

“This redevelopment plan is aimed at enhancing the facilities, expanding the programming, and enriching the artistic experiences of our community,” said Executive Director of the Morean Arts Center Howayda Affan in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “This transformative initiative reflects the Art Center’s commitment to fostering creativity, supporting artists, and engaging the public in meaningful ways.”

Today, Dale Chihuly's whimsical and abstract glass sculptures are housed at 720 Central Avenue in an 11,000-square-foot space across the street from the Morean Arts Center.

To bring the project to life, the Morean has applied for over $15 million in tourist tax dollars.

Without the requested funding, the project cannot happen, said Affan.

The Morean is not the only organization vying for Pinellas County’s available tourist tax dollars. The Tourist Development Council received seven additional funding requests, which were briefly reviewed during a Wednesday meeting, totaling $67 million.

The other seven projects requesting funding include the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum, The Florida Orchestra, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Palladium Theater, Clearwater Beach Municipal Marina, Eddie C. Moore Complex, and the Dunedin Museum.

In a letter to Pinellas County Commissioners, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch expressed his support for the Morean Arts Center expansion.

“The Arts Center has been instrumental in nurturing local talent, providing a platform for artists to showcase their work, and offering diverse educational programs that engage people of all ages,” said Welch. “The proposed redevelopment will not only enhance these offerings but also expand the Center’s capacity to serve as a cultural hub, drawing visitors and fostering a deeper appreciation for the arts within our community.”

The Morean Arts Center has been a staple of downtown St. Pete for nearly 100 years. Margaret and Edith Tadd founded the Art Club of St. Petersburg in 1917, which eventually evolved into the Morean Arts Center. The mother and daughter duo wanted to create a space so that artists in the St. Pete community could be creative, show their work and just appreciate and discuss art.

The funding requests, including the Morean Art Center’s application, will go through a vetting process to determine if the projects are eligible for capital program funding.

The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) is expected to review projects requesting over $10 million in August.

Then, the Tourist Development Council will hold a meeting in September to review and approve funding recommendations. The BCC will meet in October for a final vote.

Visit St. Pete-Clearwater President and CEO Brian Lowack commented that Visit St. Petersburg-Clearwater currently has $115 million in capital reserves, which the organization could tap into to fund the accepted projects.

Kylie Diaz, VP of Community Engagement at the Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, said the next capital funding cycle is expected to open in 2026. Any projects deemed ineligible in this round can reapply to the next cycle.