Mayor Welch extends proposal deadline for 86-acre Historic Gas Plant redevelopment in downtown St. Pete
/An earlier aerial of the ongoing roof repairs to tropicana field in downtown St. Pete | st. pete rising
Starting in the new year, the City of St. Pete will officially restart the clock for developers to submit proposals to redevelop the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Pete, marking the third time the city has sought bids for the site since 2020.
Mayor Ken Welch had initially planned to open a 30-day submission window in mid-November, but after receiving pushback from major developers, including Kolter Urban and Red Apple Group, as well as concerns from City Council, Welch agreed to delay the start until January 4th, 2026.
Proposals will now be due February 3rd, giving developers a total of 105 days since the city’s October 21st announcement.
The latest bid solicitation was triggered when the city received an unsolicited $6.8 billion proposal from Casey Ellison of Ellison Companies, Cathie Wood of ARK Invest, and Jonathan Graham of Horus Construction.
Under Florida law, once a city is interested in considering an unsolicited proposal, it must open a public window for competing submissions.
This marks the third time the city has sought a development partner for the site.
mayor ken welch touring tropicana field after the stadium sustained extensive hurricane-related damages in 2024 | City of st. petersburg
Former Mayor Rick Kriseman launched a Request for Proposal (RFP) in 2020.
Welch canceled that process in 2022 and issued a new RFP that August, ultimately selecting a plan from The Rays/Hines.
That agreement unraveled this summer when the Rays withdrew from the plan.
Welch said he sees no need for a new RFP, arguing that the city’s 23 Guiding Principles, spanning jobs, housing, equitable economic development, resilience, green space, and honoring the former Gas Plant community, remain unchanged.
The only significant shift, he said, is that the redevelopment no longer centers on a new baseball stadium.
Currently, the city is focused on completing hurricane-related repairs to Tropicana Field before the 2026 season, when the Rays are scheduled to reopen the ballpark on April 6th against the Chicago Cubs.
The unsolicited proposal submitted by ARK Invest and partners calls for the redevelopment of 95.5 total acres in downtown St. pete, including the historic gas plant District | baker barrios
With the stadium no longer part of the plan, the administration intends to redirect roughly $130 million in Intown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds previously tied to the redevelopment project toward other essential city facilities and infrastructure.
Welch also emphasized that any future stadium discussions with the Rays’ new ownership would need to rely on separate funding sources.
“By moving forward as outlined above, we will maintain consistent priorities and expectations and make long-overdue progress with clarity and purpose,” Welch wrote in a November 12th memo to City Council. “I look forward to continuing this work with Council to ensure the outcome reflects our shared values and delivers lasting, equitable benefits for the people of St. Petersburg.”
The memo arrived just one day before City Council was set to consider a resolution expressing concern about relying only on a 30-day notice and urging the administration to issue a full RFP and extend the submission deadline.
Councilmember Richie Floyd, who proposed the resolution, requested at least 90 days for submissions.
During Thursday’s council meeting, other councilmembers questioned whether a fresh property appraisal is needed, whether the city should commission a new master plan, and how an RFP might have been reissued after the Rays/Hines pulled out of the deal.
A rendering from the $6.8 billion proposal from Casey Ellison of Ellison Companies, Cathie Wood of ARK Invest, and Jonathan Graham of Horus Construction | ARK ELLISON HORUS
Councilmember Brandi Gabbard said the city, not private developers, should lead the process.
“I’d rather have the city steer this than the private sector. That seems like good government, good business,” she said. “It is the city’s land. It is the people’s land.”
Some councilmembers suggested bringing in the Urban Land Institute to study the best path forward, though Gabbard said a new master plan may not be necessary.
Additionally, Councilmember Lisset Hanewicz added that without an imminent stadium deadline, the city has time to do things right.
“We were rushed because it had to be done by a certain timeframe [due to the Rays’ lease],” she said. “Well, the Rays don’t have a new stadium. The world has not ended.”
Councilmembers ultimately agreed that a new property appraisal should be completed before negotiations begin with any development team.
Staff also reiterated that once a preferred development team is chosen and a term sheet is reached, the city will require a Community Benefits Agreement, ensuring commitments to affordable housing, workforce programs, and infrastructure investments.
As the city prepares to reopen the process for a third time, both the administration and City Council say the goal is unchanged: to find the right long-term partner to transform the acres of asphalt around Tropicana Field into a thriving, community-focused neighborhood.
