Welch selects Denzel Johnson-Green as city’s Poet Laureate
ST. PETERSBURG — Mayor Kenneth T. Welch has appointed Denzel Johnson-Green as St. Petersburg’s poet laureate. Johnson-Green is the city’s first Black poet laureate and will serve as a prominent fixture in the city’s cultural and literary arts communities, promoting poetry and literature among residents and visitors.
As the city’s official poet, Johnson-Green will present his works at city events and youth activities to inspire emerging generations of literary artists and poets. Johnson-Green presented his first poem as St. Pete’s Poet Laureate at the flag raising at City Hall to celebrate Black History Month on Feb. 5.
Traditionally, St. Pete’s poet laureate serves for the mayor’s term. The previous poets laureate for St. Petersburg are Peter Meinke, Helen Wallace, and Gloria Munoz.
Johnson-Green is the creator and editor of 17 poetry journals called “Neptune,” which were nominated best literary journal in Creative Loafing. He is the recipient of the Roy Peter Clark Literary Prize, and he is the creator of the free, weekly workshop/open mic, Community Poetry, founded in 2019. His light poetry can be found in Saw Palm, Oddball Magazine, The Artisan, Art Coast Journal, and The Fantastic Other.
St. Pete breaks ground for housing on industrial-zoned land
The city has broken ground on Fairfield Avenue Apartments, a 264-unit affordable and workforce housing development near the Warehouse Arts District.
First proposed in early 2022, Fairfield Avenue Apartments made local history when St. Petersburg became the first city in Florida to approve an affordable housing development under 2021 state legislation allowing residential projects on industrially zoned land. The project has since become a model for how cities can creatively unlock new sites for housing, according to a city press release.
Located on a 6.9-acre site at 3300 Fairfield Ave. S, the development is being built on land formerly home to the Tibbetts Lumber Company, a family business founded in the 1970s by Linton Tibbetts. The site was acquired for approximately $6.2 million by Fairfield Avenue Apartments LLC, an entity affiliated with St. Petersburg-based HP Capital Group and former Florida Sen. Jeff Brandes.
“Fairfield Avenue Apartments represents both a deeply personal legacy and a forward-looking commitment to St. Petersburg’s future,” said Nick Hansen, a partner with H. P. Capital Group. “Transforming a site that once supported local industry into housing that supports working families is incredibly meaningful. This project shows what’s possible when cities, counties and private partners come together to create long-term affordability and opportunity for the people who make this community thrive.”
The community will include a mix of unit sizes designed to serve individuals and families, including:
• 74 one-bedroom units
• 162 two-bedroom units
• 28 three-bedroom units
Some 53 units are reserved for households earning at or below 50% of Area Median Income (AMI).
The approximately $94.2 million development is financed through a combination of public and private sources, including $9.7 million from the city of St. Petersburg, funding from Pinellas County, a HUD 221(d)(4) construction loan, and developer equity. The property will be leased through a trust with the Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County, ensuring a 99-year affordability commitment. Upon completion, the Pinellas County Housing Authority will own and manage the apartments.
Fairfield Avenue Apartments will offer a variety of amenities, including a swimming pool, meeting rooms, computer labs, a bike corral and repair workshop, playgrounds, picnic areas, and extensive bike parking.
Construction is expected to continue through mid- to late-2028.
For more information, contact: SocialServices@StPeteHA.org.
Watering ban extended for St. Pete, area
The Southwest Florida Water Management District has issued a Modified Phase 2 Water Shortage Order that includes the city of St. Petersburg and much of the surrounding counties. The order went into effect Feb. 8 following a period of significantly below normal rainfall and declining water levels.
To help conserve water, the city is shifting to a temporary watering schedule of once a week for properties using potable or private well water sources for watering. Reclaimed water use is not restricted; however, watering only once or twice a week is recommended.
• Even-numbered addresses may irrigate on Saturday between 5-9 a.m. or 7-11 p.m.
• Odd-numbered and locations with no address may irrigate on Sunday between 5-9 a.m. or 7-11 p.m.
• Hand watering of nonlawn landscape is allowed any day, at any time, if needed.
• Hand watering of lawns must follow designated watering day and times.
• Hand watering and micro-irrigation of plants (other than lawns) can be done on any day at any time.
• An automatic shutoff device must be installed on any hose and used at all times.
St. Petersburg’s watering schedule may differ from Pinellas County’s. Residents and businesses located outside of city limits or who do not receive their water from the city should verify their watering days and restrictions with their water supplier.
City seeks public input for sustainability workshop
The city of St. Petersburg, in partnership with IDEAS For Us, is inviting residents to participate in an upcoming Sustainability Workshop, designed to engage the community in meaningful conversations about the city’s sustainability priorities and long-term vision.
Community input gathered will help guide how sustainability priorities are advanced across St. Pete, inform updates to the City’s Integrated Sustainability Action Plan (ISAP), and support how sustainability initiatives are implemented city wide to support a stronger economy, and a higher quality of life.
The remaining workshops are:
• Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 5:30-8 p.m.
Boyd Hill Nature Preserve
1101 Country Club Way S
• Friday, Feb. 27, from 2:30-5 p.m.
The Coliseum
535 4th Ave. N
Learn more and register for a workshop at https://tinyurl.com/yz5k8rz6
St. Pete seeks applicants for advisory council
The city of St. Petersburg is accepting applications for standing member positions on the Community Benefits Advisory Council (CBAC). The CBAC is a nonpartisan board that advises the mayor and city council on matters related to the city’s Community Benefits Program.
The CBAC currently consists of four standing members: two appointed by the mayor and two by the city council. Each standing member must be from a different City Council district.
Applications are needed from residents of the following City Council districts: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, or 8. Mayoral appointments currently represent districts 3 and 5.
Interested residents can use the map found at https://tinyurl.com/2p4f3a7d to determine their City Council District.
Standing Members serve no more than two three-year terms.
Applications will be accepted through Feb. 28. More information and the application can be found at https://tinyurl.com/5n6bztnf
St. Petersburg continues Black History Month
It’s the middle of February, and St. Petersburg is still celebrating Black History Month.
Many events have passed, but many are waiting on the wings. Such as:
• A Black History Live Museum
Friday, Feb. 13, at 10:30 a.m.
Thomas “Jet” Jackson Recreation Center, 1000 28th St. S
Event is free and requires registration. Learn more by calling 727-893-7133 and register at https://tinyurl.com/yv3mbz7f
• Black History Month Movie Screening: The Butler
Thursday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m.
Sunshine Senior Center, 330 Fifth St. N
After leaving the south as a young man and finding employment at an elite hotel in Washington, Cecil Gaines gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is hired as a butler at the White House. Event is free and requires registration. Learn more by calling 727-893-7133 and register at https://tinyurl.com/4fkkaxkp
• Wanda Stuart and the Sunshine Storytellers Present: Here We Are
Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 10:45 a.m.
Sunshine Senior Center, 330 5th St. N
Come and hear inspiring stories and learn about Black history. Event is free and requires registration. Learn more by calling 727-893-7133 and register at https://tinyurl.com/5ze5cxke
•Black History Celebration & Gala
Thursday, Feb. 26, at 1 p.m.
Sunshine Senior Center, 330 5th St. N
Event is free and requires registration. Learn more by calling 727-893-7133 and register at https://tinyurl.com/5j6e9h8e
• Annual Black History Month Celebration
Saturday, Feb. 28, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Lake Vista Park, 1401 62nd Ave. S
Presented by the TASCO Teen Program, this event is open to all ages and encourages families, friends, and neighbors to come together for an afternoon of learning, celebration, and community. This free, family-friendly event will highlight Black culture and community through live performances, music by a TASCO DJ, face painting, inflatables and interactive activities, and free food for the first 200 attendees.
Eckerd College announces president’s retirement
ST. PETERSBURG — Eckerd College leaders announced Feb. 4 that President James J. Annarelli will retire effective June 30, 2027.
“Serving the Eckerd College community for 36 years has been an absolute honor, and I am grateful to the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and students for embracing me as their president since 2022,” Annarelli said. “In this next phase of my life, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my wife, Anna, and children, and enjoying the relationships I’ve built over my tenure. I am confident that now is the right time for Eckerd to find its next president who will build on the stable foundation of an excellent academic program shepherded by innovative faculty, and a one-of-a-kind campus life program championed by a thoughtful staff in partnership with our outstanding and civic-minded student body.”
The Board of Trustees has contracted with the search firm Issacson, Miller, and appointed Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Susan A. Slaugenhaupt as the search committee chair.
During Annarelli’s tenure, the college rebounded from the unprecedented impact of back-to-back hurricane landfalls that resulted in closure of the campus for a month. Under his leadership, the college advanced several significant campus improvements including the completion of a new beach volleyball complex, a beachside pavilion and a new dining center. Additionally, alumni, trustees, and friends of the college committed to transformational support including Jim and Judy Moore’s $4 million gift to support and name the Johnston-Ford Scholars Program and an annual award to honor the academic contributions made by a faculty member each year.
Annarelli, 70, is a first-generation college graduate. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theology and environmental studies and Master of Arts degree in theology from St. John’s University, New York, and a Master of Philosophy degree and Doctor of Philosophy degree in religion and society from Drew University. He is the author of Academic Freedom and Catholic Higher Education (1987).
Annarelli began his career as a member of the faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John’s University and came to Eckerd in 1990. Since then, he has served as an academic coordinator and faculty member, and later as assistant director of Eckerd’s adult degree completion program; as inaugural associate dean and director of the College’s Center for the Applied Liberal Arts; and, for 20 years, as Eckerd’s vice president for student life and dean of students.