ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Plans to revive the cherished St. Petersburg Science Center appears to be back on track after Mayor Ken Welch reversed course on turning the site into a sewer facility.
The decision came following a pointed council meeting last week, where members made it clear they wanted to save the center.
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The backstory:
Tensions rose during the meeting as council weighed the city’s need for increased wastewater capacity against efforts to reopen the Science Center. Ultimately, the unanimous council asked the administration to pursue both goals, keeping the Science Center alive while also addressing the city’s sewer needs.
The hurricanes last year exposed the city’s vulnerabilities when it came to wastewater capacity.
What they’re saying:
In a memo to council on Tuesday, Welch wrote that after hearing consensus, he instructed his team to move forward with the previously negotiated Science Center agreement. He also reflected on his own memories of visiting the center as a student and said he shared the council’s desire to both reopen the Science Center and expand wet weather resource capabilities.
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He reiterated his priority has been the resiliency of the city and the science center site had been identified as the most cost-effective for the wastewater expansion.Â
“After directing that two of our three water reclamation facilities be shut down during Hurricanes Helene and Milton, my focus remains on implementing the most impactful investments in improvements citywide,” Welch said.Â
A new site for the wastewater expansion could be more challenging or costly, but city council indicated they were okay with the marginal cost differential if the benefit was the science center.
Dig deeper:
The Science Center in West St. Pete has been closed for 11 years. A coalition led by St. Pete Foundation co-founder Joe Hamilton has spent the past four years planning to revive it, with an agreement in place to purchase the land from the city for $1.6 million.
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Hamilton said he’s relieved to see the project back on track.
“And I think he weighed all the benefits and costs of what was going to happen there,” Hamilton said. “And we’re thrilled that the Science Center will be a part of the future for that area.”
The group has already raised $16 million and secured $7 million in state funding. The future Science Center could include an AI hub, planetarium, garden and unique event spaces.
Hamilton said the feasibility study briefly derailed things, but the project is now moving forward again.
“I think that report sort of threw things askew for a short while, but we, you know, we quickly self-corrected, and we’re back on the path we’ve been on.”
He added that once an official agreement is finalized, groundbreaking could happen this year.Â
“Because we have been working at this for so long, we don’t need much of a close time with the contracts. We’ll have to close within about 30 days of signing the contract,” Hamilton said.Â
The Source: Sources for this report include a city council meeting, a memo from the mayor, interviews with involved parties, and the website for the proposed new science center.