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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Treasure Island’s iconic Thunderbird Beach Resort could be rebuilt bigger than before

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Treasure Island’s iconic Thunderbird Beach Resort could be rebuilt bigger than before

After suffering major hurricane damage last year, Treasure Island’s iconic Thunderbird Beach Resort will be completely demolished and rebuilt, potentially larger than before, while preserving its nostalgic charm.

The city’s Planning and Zoning Board unanimously approved a site plan last Thursday for a new four-story resort that will replace the 68-year-old property at 10700 Gulf Boulevard.

As first reported by St. Pete Rising, the rebuild calls for one single U-shaped building to house all 106 hotel rooms—the same number as before—on three levels above a 124-space surface parking lot beneath the structure, along with a 1,750-square-foot lobby and office space.

The resort’s appearance is expected to change significantly, but the Thunderbird name and its historic neon sign will remain.

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Treasure Island’s iconic Thunderbird Beach Resort to be demolished and rebuilt

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Treasure Island’s iconic Thunderbird Beach Resort to be demolished and rebuilt

The iconic Thunderbird Beach Resort, a Treasure Island landmark for the past 68 years, is set to be completely demolished and rebuilt after sustaining catastrophic damage caused by last year’s back-to-back hurricanes.

The courtyard-style resort, located at 10700 Gulf Boulevard, was among many properties hit hard by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which left behind piles of debris and extensive structural damage, forcing the immediate closure of the beloved beachfront destination.

In a social media post on December 9th, the Thunderbird wrote, “We are deeply touched by the outpouring of love from our guests and the community. It means the world to us—and we want to make one thing clear: The Thunderbird Beach Resort is NOT going anywhere.”

Originally built in 1957 as the 64-unit Thunderbird Motel at a cost of $750,000, the resort has long been a staple of the area.

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The Tavern at Bayboro and The Campus Grind work to rebuild and reopen on USF St. Petersburg campus

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The Tavern at Bayboro and The Campus Grind work to rebuild and reopen on USF St. Petersburg campus

Located less than a block from the Bayboro Harbor, storm surge from Hurricane Helene flooded family-run establishments The Tavern at Bayboro and The Campus Grind when it made landfall in late September as a Category 4 storm in the Big Bend region of the Florida panhandle.

"We had over three feet of storm surge come through both restaurants. We lost our walk-in cooler that's structurally part of the building," Dennis Bixler said to St. Pete Rising.

Dennis and his wife Stephanie own the local live-music pub and restaurant at 120 6th Avenue South on the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus.

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The Show Must Go On: Zubrick Magic Theatre asks for community's help to keep the magic alive

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The Show Must Go On: Zubrick Magic Theatre asks for community's help to keep the magic alive

The Zubrick Magic Theatre in downtown St. Pete, where magicians Chris and Ryan Zubrick typically perform family-friendly comedy and grand-scale illusions, is temporarily serving a new purpose.

The main stage inside the intimate 90-seat theatre at 1211 1st Avenue North is currently filled with air mattresses and the Zubricks’ personal items - becoming a makeshift sanctuary for the couple and their seven-year-old son, Oliver, until the theatre reopens later this month.

Like many residents in St. Petersburg, the Zubricks' single-family home suffered substantial damage from Hurricane Milton when it made landfall last week near Sarasota as a Category 3 storm.

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