The Tampa Bay Rays will likely transform St. Petersburg. The question is how.
The city released proposals from four developers for a ballpark-centered development in St. Pete’s Gas Plant district. Residents were invited to provide feedback at a Wednesday evening forum.
- The Rays, working with development company Hines, proposed a 7 million-square-foot development that would include 5,700 multifamily units, 600 senior living residences, office and retail space, a music venue, and a hotel.
- Sugar Hill Community Partners offered a similar setup, with 5,200 housing units, office and retail space, two hotels, a transit hub, and urban farms — plus proposed grants for small and minority-owned businesses and a workforce development program.
- Restoration Associates suggested 2,800 to 3,800 affordable housing units, two acres of self-storage units, a convention center hotel, and a mixed-use technology center.
- 50 Plus 1 Sports proposed 6,748 housing units, retail, office, hotel, and cultural space, plus benefits for minority and women-owned businesses.
Proposals also addressed the neighboring Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum, with some offering donations and the Rays planning to build a new Woodson museum.
No More Ybor?
At one point, the Rays favored a new stadium in Ybor City, but that proposal is unlikely to move forward due to issues with funding and MLB’s rejection of a proposal to play half their home games in Montreal.
Tampa remains an alternative, but the team’s current focus is to stay in St. Petersburg.
