Seven-story affordable apartment building for seniors proposed for city-owned lot in downtown St. Pete

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Seven-story affordable apartment building for seniors proposed for city-owned lot in downtown St. Pete

The City of St. Pete has received another offer to redevelop part of the Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Pete.

The Pinellas County Housing Authority (PCHA) has submitted an unsolicited proposal to purchase and redevelop a city-owned parking lot at 1659 3rd Avenue South into an 80-unit affordable housing building for seniors.

In 2023, the Rays and Hines submitted a nearly identical proposal for the same site.

The property, which sits adjacent to the recently completed Modera St. Petersburg apartment tower, has been historically used as parking for Tampa Bay Rays games.

In an October 8th offer letter to the city, PCHA Executive Director Neil Brickfield detailed plans for a seven-story building designed by St. Pete-based Storyn Studio for Architecture in partnership with local developer Ascension Real Estate Partners.

The proposal calls for the City to convey the land to PCHA so it can utilize the Affordable Housing Voucher Program to ensure long-term affordability.

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St. Pete to invite new proposals for redevelopment of Historic Gas Plant District

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St. Pete to invite new proposals for redevelopment of Historic Gas Plant District

The City of St. Petersburg is once again preparing to solicit proposals for the redevelopment of the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Pete, the same site where the Tampa Bay Rays’ future stadium and a new mixed-use district have long been envisioned.

This morning, the City announced plans to publish a notice in mid-November inviting private developers and other interested parties to submit proposals within 30 days for the site’s redevelopment.

The move follows an unsolicited proposal submitted earlier this month by a development team led by Casey Ellison, CEO of Ellison Companies; Cathie Wood, founder of global investment firm ARK Invest; and Jonathan Graham, president of Horus Construction.

Their 98-page, $6.8 billion proposal outlines a sweeping vision for a new mixed-use district anchored by innovation, housing, cultural institutions, and world-class event venues spanning 95.5 acres of downtown St. Petersburg, including the Historic Gas Plant District.

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New Rays owners introduced, pledge to build new stadium in Tampa Bay

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New Rays owners introduced, pledge to build new stadium in Tampa Bay

The new ownership group of the Tampa Bay Rays intends to keep the team playing in St. Petersburg, at least for now, while exploring potential sites around Tampa Bay for a permanent stadium.

On Tuesday morning at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the team’s new leadership, Managing Partner and Co-Chair Patrick Zalupski, Co-Chair Bill Cosgrove, and Chief Executive Officer Ken Babby, outlined their long-term vision to a room filled with reporters, former team executives, and public officials from both sides of the bay.

“It’s no secret that we need a new, forever home to secure the Rays’ long-term future in Tampa Bay, and delivering upon that objective will be our first priority,” said Zalupski, CEO of Jacksonville-based Dream Finders Homes Inc. “Our goal is to have a new world-class ballpark ready for opening day 2029.”

Under their current lease agreement, the Rays are required to play at Tropicana Field for three more seasons.

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Massive $6.8 billion redevelopment of the Tropicana Field site proposed by group of local leaders

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Massive $6.8 billion redevelopment of the Tropicana Field site proposed by group of local leaders

A trio of well-known business leaders have submitted a proposal to purchase and redevelop 95.5 acres of downtown St. Petersburg, including the Historic Gas Plant District.

Casey Ellison, CEO of Ellison Companies;Cathie Wood, the founder of global investment firm ARK Invest; and Jonathan Graham, President of Horus Construction are behind the effort. Baker Barrios would serve as the master planner architect.

The group submitted a 98-page unsolicited proposal to the City of St. Petersburg this morning outlining a $6.8 billion vision for a new mixed-use district anchored by innovation, housing, cultural institutions, and world-class event venues.

The project would be built in four phases over the next 17 years and will include flexibility to accommodate the Tampa Bay Rays should the team remain beyond 2028.

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St. Pete pushes forward on $59 million Tropicana Field repairs as roof installation begins

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St. Pete pushes forward on $59 million Tropicana Field repairs as roof installation begins

Blue netting now surrounds the steel framework of what’s left of Tropicana Field’s roof in downtown St. Petersburg as crews prepare to install the first set of roof panels.

Last October, winds of up to 110 miles per hour from Hurricane Milton shredded the stadium’s fabric roof, causing extensive interior damage.

Now, the City of St. Pete is on the hook for the repairs.

General contractors Hennessy Construction Services and AECOM Hunt are leading the $59 million repair project, with the new roof accounting for more than $23 million of that total.

“Repair progress is well underway at Tropicana Field,” Mayor Ken Welch wrote in a Facebook post Friday, sharing photos of the work.

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St. Pete officially ends Rays redevelopment deal, approve Tropicana Field repairs

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St. Pete officially ends Rays redevelopment deal, approve Tropicana Field repairs

One year after entering into a $6.5 billion redevelopment deal with the Tampa Bay Rays and national developer Hines, St. Pete City Council unanimously voted on Thursday to terminate the agreement.

The deal would have allowed the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District be to redeveloped into a new mixed-use neighborhood with nearly 8 million square feet of space, including a $1.3 billion baseball stadium.

City Council’s vote was largely procedural, as the Rays and Hines had announced in March that they were withdrawing from the deal after missing key project milestones.

Mayor Ken Welch, who was a strong supporter of the project, addressed the termination in a statement following the vote.

“While the Rays’ decision is terribly disappointing, our mission was to adapt and refocus on our primary objective – the progress of our city,” said Welch. “And part of that mission is accomplished by today’s City Council vote.”

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St. Pete approves $22.5 million to repair Tropicana Field roof

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St. Pete approves $22.5 million to repair Tropicana Field roof

The City of St. Petersburg is moving forward with extensive renovations and repairs to make Tropicana Field playable for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2026.

In October 2024, Hurricane Milton's powerful winds shredded the stadium's fabric roof, allowing rain to pour into the venue. As a result, the stadium sustained significant water and wind damage, rendering it unusable.

In addition to damaging the roof, the storm also compromised critical infrastructure, audiovisual equipment, and the turf field.

Due to the extent of the damage, the Tampa Bay Rays will play their 2025 season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

City officials are hoping to have Tropicana Field ready for baseball in time for the 2026 season. In the meantime, due to the extent of the damage to the Trop, the Tampa Bay Rays will play their 2025 season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

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Inside Blake Investment Group's $260 million cash offer for the Tropicana Field site

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Inside Blake Investment Group's $260 million cash offer for the Tropicana Field site

After decades of debate and negotiations for the redevelopment of the Gas Plant District and securing the future home of the Rays, the deal with the team is no longer on the table, but one local developer is ready to sign a big check to make the long-awaited grand vision a reality.

Investor Thompson Whitney Blake, CEO of private equity firm Blake Investment Partners, is offering the City of St. Petersburg $260 million in an all-cash deal to buy the Gas Plant District following the Tampa Bay Rays' abrupt announcement of abandoning the $1.3 billion stadium agreement.

"My entire strategy is to get public support for a sale of the property and let the private market fix this 86-acre parking lot problem. I don't want to wait any longer," Blake said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

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St. Pete investor offers $260 million to buy 86-acre Tropicana Field site

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St. Pete investor offers $260 million to buy 86-acre Tropicana Field site

Prominent Tampa Bay investor Thompson Whitney Blake is offering the City of St. Petersburg $260 million in an all-cash deal to buy the Gas Plant District following the Tampa Bay Rays' abrupt announcement of abandoning the stadium agreement.

"We, along with all of the other residents in town, have listened to a decade of dialogues, debates, pundits, and prognosticators, lawyers, and talking heads... In our opinion, this project needs someone to do what my mom has always said, 'put your money where your mouth is.' So, here we go," Blake, CEO of private equity firm Blake Investment Partners, wrote in a letter to Mayor Ken Welch and the St. Petersburg City Council.

The offer letter was sent on Thursday, March 13, shortly after the Tampa Bay Rays announced on social media that they were withdrawing from the $1.37 billion deal to build a new stadium in downtown St. Petersburg. The team cited unforeseen challenges from back-to-back hurricanes and prolonged negotiations as reasons for their decision.

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Trails Crossing, a new linear park under I-275 in downtown St. Pete, moves forward after City Council vote

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Trails Crossing, a new linear park under I-275 in downtown St. Pete, moves forward after City Council vote

Four blocks of underutilized space beneath Interstate 275 in downtown St. Pete could be transformed into a new linear park featuring public art and event spaces, creating a destination for pedestrians and cyclists.

In a 7-to-1 vote, City Council approved an agreement on Thursday to contribute $150,000 toward hiring Colorado-based LandDesign, Inc. to kick off the master planning process for Trails Crossing, a walkable, activated park under I-275 that will embrace micro-transit and connect urban neighborhoods—an idea that has been in discussion for years.

“For too long, our community has been physically, socially, and economically divided by infrastructure that was never designed with connectivity in mind,” said John Barkett, a local developer and co-founder of the nonprofit group Friends of Trails Crossing, during Thursday’s meeting.

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