Williams Park in downtown St. Pete opened in 1888 | St Pete Rising

Plans to reimagine Williams Park in downtown St. Pete are starting to come into focus, with city partners emphasizing that the park’s future success will depend as much on daily activity and programming as on physical improvements.

Leaders with the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership shared updates on the effort during a recent media availability at the Cordova Inn, where they were joined by Dan Biederman, a nationally recognized urban placemaking expert whose firm, Biederman Redevelopment Ventures, has been brought in to help shape how the park functions once construction is complete.

“It’s remarkable the progress St. Pete has made over the last four decades,” Biederman said, noting the level of downtown activity compared to other cities. “There’s a lot going on here at 11 o’clock at night — you don’t see that in many places.”

Williams Park, which opened in 1888, spans an entire city block in the heart of downtown, bordered by 1st Avenue North, 2nd Avenue North, 3rd Street North, and 4th Street North.

Long considered the city’s “town square,” the park has faced challenges in recent years related to perception issues, aging infrastructure, and an underutilized bandshell.

Williams Park spans an entire city block in the heart of downtown, bordered by 1st Avenue North, 2nd Avenue North, 3rd Street North, and 4th Street North | City of St. Pete

Biederman said his firm is often drawn to centrally located parks of this size that are “not thought of well,” but have strong potential.

During his visit, he walked through Williams Park around 11 p.m. to get a feel for the space after dark.

“One of my personal indicators of safety is whether a single woman feels comfortable walking through a space alone,” he said. “I saw couples walking through the park, and it felt safe.”

The current planning effort follows an $800,000 appropriation from the Florida Legislature, which is restricted to capital improvements related to safety.

Jason Mathis, CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, said that means being selective about how the money is spent.

“With $800,000, you have to focus on what gives you the biggest bang for the buck,” Mathis said.

Paddy Fest, St. Pete’s largest St. Patrick’s Day party at Williams Park in downtown St. Pete | Paddy Fest

The funding is expected to go toward improving park entrances and gateways, upgrading lighting and electrical infrastructure, refining sightlines into the park, and making targeted hardscape and landscaping improvements, particularly around the central plaza.

Engineering firm Kimley-Horn has assisted with early design work.

Those improvements are being coordinated with the City of St. Petersburg’s long-planned bandshell renovation, a separate project estimated at $2.2 million that includes structural repairs, a new roof, and interior upgrades.

The Downtown Partnership is working to align construction timelines for both the safety-related work and bandshell improvements where possible to reduce costs.

Annual events traditionally held at Williams Park, including Localtopia and Paddy Fest St. Pete, will not be affected, as construction on certain park improvements is expected to begin after those events conclude in the first quarter of the year.

The bandshell at Williams Park will undergo a $2.2 million renovation in the coming year | City of St. Pete

Biederman emphasized that successful parks are driven less by occasional large events and more by steady, everyday use.

“Most people think programming means concerts,” he said. “That’s part of it, but what really makes a park work is activity throughout the day.”

His firm’s approach focuses on simple, repeatable amenities such as staffed carts offering chess, ping pong, art supplies, reading materials, shuffleboard, and toddler-focused activities.

“Toddler programming works everywhere,” Biederman said. “Families always find it.”

To support early programming and operations, the Downtown Partnership and Williams Park Partnership are working to raise between $500,000 and $600,000, with roughly $200,000 to $250,000 already committed. Project leaders say interest has been strong among nearby property owners and stakeholders with longstanding ties to the park.

Separately, the Downtown Partnership is preparing to launch a downtown improvement district focused on cleaning, ambassadors, and maintenance across much of the downtown core.

The effort would be funded through new parking meter revenue rather than new taxes, by converting roughly 400 high-demand two-hour parking spaces to metered parking and generating an estimated $1 million per year.

A children’s concert at the first Williams Park bandshell | St. PEtersburg Museum of History

While services would extend throughout downtown, Williams Park would be a primary focus of the enhanced operations.

The group is also exploring limited commercial activity within the park, including the potential conversion of the existing PSTA ticketing office into a small coffee or food-and-beverage space.

Programming at Williams Park is expected to complement activity at the St. Pete Pier, with 2nd Avenue North serving as a natural connection between the two destinations.

“More activity is better in every city’s case,” Biederman said. “People worry too much about competition.”

Williams Park spans about 3.3 acres, and Biederman offered a simple benchmark for success: roughly 100 people per acre.

“If someone walks by and sees about 330 people enjoying the park, that sends a signal,” he said. “They’ll want to come back.”

Improvements will roll out in phases over the coming year, with new programming potentially beginning in late 2026.