Mayor Ken Welch giving the annual State of the City Address at the Palladium on Wednesday | City of St. pete

Strengthening infrastructure, accelerating hurricane recovery, expanding affordable housing, and advancing the long-awaited redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District were among the major themes of Mayor Ken Welch’s 2026 State of the City address.

“Storms do not define St. Petersburg. How we recover defines who we are,” Welch said Wednesday at The Palladium in downtown St. Pete, describing 2025 as a year of recovery following Hurricanes Helene and Milton and 2026 as a year focused on resilience, equity, and forward progress.

Welch framed the city’s work around his Five Pillars for Progress: Housing Opportunities for All; Neighborhood Health & Safety; Environment, Infrastructure & Resilience; Equitable Development, The Arts & Business Opportunities; and Education & Youth Opportunities.

Here are the key highlights from 2025:

3rd & 3rd, a 33-story apartment tower, is currently under construction in downtown st. pete | St. Pete Rising

Equitable Development and Investments

The Building Department processed more than 54,000 permits, representing $1.44 billion in construction activity.
Commercial development advanced with 27 new commercial buildings, and neighborhood reinvestment continued through 8,742 residential and commercial renovation projects.
Following the hurricanes in 2024, the city waived fees for Post Disaster Emergency permits, issuing 15,635 permits and providing $3.03 million in fee relief.
The Small Business Disaster Assistance Program delivered $200,000 in direct support to storm-impacted businesses through the We Are St. Pete Fund.
The South St. Petersburg CRA Microfund Program supported 196 small businesses with education, mentoring, and $1.4 million to implement growth plans without upfront capital.

The Tampa Bay Ferry, which runs between downtown St. Pete and downtown Tampa, is expected to relaunch this spring or summer | City of St. Pete

Transit and Micromobility

More than $20 million in state funding was secured to convert 3rd and 4th Streets downtown to two-way traffic, improving access through the downtown core.
A new 540-space public parking garage opened in the EDGE District.
The city reached an agreement to acquire a one-mile CSX rail segment to extend the Booker Creek Trail north from the Historic Gas Plant site, creating new recreational access and future commercial opportunities.
Agreements were finalized to establish a year-round premium ferry service between downtown St. Petersburg and downtown Tampa.

the City of St. Pete is putting together a Seawall Master Plan, a long-term effort focused on addressing coastal flooding, erosion, and shoreline resilience | City of ST. Pete

Infrastructure, Public Health, and Safety

The city launched SPAR, the St. Pete Agile Resilience Plan, advancing more than $545 million in long-term resilience investments.
Major flood mitigation projects advanced, including pump station upgrades, lake enhancements, backflow preventer installations and seawall repairs.
Welch announced plans to ask voters to approve a $600 million General Obligation bond referendum to accelerate sewer upgrades, flooding solutions, and other neighborhood infrastructure improvements.
Five pedestrian safety projects were completed near the Innovation District, adding protected crosswalks and intersection improvements.
New sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and trail connections expanded safe transportation options for residents in south and west St. Petersburg.
Through the Opioid Support Grants program, targeted investments expanded life-saving outreach by distributing 6,789 doses of Narcan, connecting more than 4,000 people to care.
The St. Pete Community Support Hub served 573 residents with mental health and outreach services.
$1.4 million was awarded to 10 agencies to prevent homelessness and families experiencing housing instability.

Furniture is seen floating in a yard in north St. Pete after Hurricane Milton | Ana St Pierre

Post-Storm Recovery

The city is continuing to administer the $160 million Sunrise St. Pete program, which offers financial assistance to help with home repair, rebuilding, and storm-related reimbursements.
The city invested $4.5 million in disaster relief and housing stabilization.
The Housing Disaster Assistance Program awarded $400,000 to 100 residents to support home repairs and housing-related expenses.
The Office of the City Auditor secured more than $37 million in expedited funds from FEMA for debris removal reimbursement.

The 60-unit Bayou Court affordable Apartments opened in 2025 | City of st. pete

Housing

St. Pete became the first city in Florida to adopt the “Yes in God’s Backyard” provision, empowering faith-based organizations to use underutilized land to expand affordable housing.
In 2025, 434 affordable units, 122 accessory dwelling units, and 24 affordable homes were completed.
Currently, 571 affordable units and 238 workforce units are under construction citywide.
The St. Pete Neighborhood Team improvements led to 211 completed housing projects.

The President Barack Obama Main Library reopened in September after a $16.8 million renovation | City of St. pete

Education and Youth

St. Pete Libraries launched the St. Pete Bookmobile and reopened the President Barack Obama Main Library.
The city and USF St. Petersburg collaborated to create the first-ever Camp BullsEye, which welcomed middle and high school students to an immersive college-style experience.
Youth Opportunity Grants, a $1 million ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act)-funded initiative, provided monthly stipends to 88 young adults to support stability and successful transitions to adulthood.
The city invested $260,000 in the Childhood Homelessness Project, helping families remain stably housed.

The City of St. Pete is nearing completion of a $59.7 million renovation of Tropicana Field ahead of the Rays’ home opener against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, April 6th | St. Pete Rising

What Lies Ahead For 2026

Welch closed his address with remarks on the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District site.

“Nearly 40 years after the original Gas Plant community was uprooted, we had before us a real opportunity - not simply to plan or convene yet again, but to act, move forward, and finally transform vacant lots into assets that will benefit our community for generations to come,” Welch said.

After terminating previous agreements last year, the city received an unsolicited proposal and expanded the process to invite additional teams to submit competing bids, resulting in multiple proposals for the site.

He also acknowledged and congratulated the city’s team on nearing the completion of a $59.7 million renovation of Tropicana Field.

Additioanlly, Welch highlighted the progress on the Manhattan Casino, which will reopen this summer as a 12,000-square-foot, city-operated event space. The city is wrapping up its $5 million renovation of the cultural landmark, located on 22nd Street South.

The full transcript of Mayor Welch’s State of the City address is available on the City’s website.