Ever since the Tampa Bay Rays walked away from building a replacement stadium for Tropicana Field surrounded by shops and condos, St. Petersburg has been contemplating what else could go on the 86-acre site.

City officials announced last June that St. Petersburg would partner with Pinellas County to commission a feasibility study for a potential convention center as part of the new vision for what Mayor Ken Welch has called the Historic Gas Plant District.

Nine months later, St. Petersburg is soliciting proposals to do just that. However, the scope of the study is not limited to the Gas Plant area.

The city opened a window Wednesday to invite qualified consultants to determine how viable a convention center would be downtown, given that another one is located in Tampa. That includes assessing market demand, cost and overall economic impact, plus providing recommendations for what a convention center would need and look like.

In a statement provided by a city spokesperson, Beth Herendeen, managing director of city development administration and finance, said the process is happening as the city considers proposals to redevelop the Historic Gas Plant District.

“The Gas Plant proposals are just that — proposals — and should be considered as such,” Herendeen said. “They are not final plans.”

Of the eight Gas Plant proposals on the table, four mention a convention center. The Ark Ellison Horus plan, the unsolicited proposal that Welch liked so much he invited competing proposals rather than open a formal bid process, emphasizes spread-out convention space and a convention-focused hotel rather than a stand-alone convention center.

Welch’s process of choosing a developer for the site has slowed since the City Council voted 6-2 to urge his administration to create a plan for the Gas Plant first. Welch has said that city officials are trying to understand the council’s request and how they can incorporate that desired planning.

A convention center could also fit along the downtown waterfront, where the city has contemplated creating a Center for the Arts project. The city has long sought to remake a stretch between Al Lang Stadium, the Mahaffey Theater and the Dalí Museum to that end.

Proposals for the convention center feasibility study are due April 30 and will be publicly evaluated May 18, though those dates could change. The bid request does not include a budget for the study.

Brian Lowack, president and CEO of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, said the county has earmarked money from its hotel and short-term rental tax chest to pay for half of the study.

David Ingram, executive director of the Tampa Convention Center, said it was too early to comment on the need for another convention center since many variables are at play, like size, capacity and if a hotel would be attached.

He said many Tampa Convention Center attendees make the trip to St. Petersburg. He said he hoped there would be a similar dynamic in St. Petersburg where those potential conventiongoers would visit Tampa.

“It’s about economic development for both cities,” he said.

Ingram said the Tampa Convention Center is holding pace, hosting between 120 to 140 events a year. Many of them are trade shows and sporting events. Last year saw $146 million in economic impact, he said.

Tampa’s convention center and tourism budget ran a deficit in the years following the coronavirus pandemic. But now, Ingram said revenues have gone up substantially to cover expenditures, and the convention center has a balanced budget.

He said if the Tampa Convention Center is busy, it helps if another event space can take on more business.

“Sometimes it works out to be mutually beneficial,” he said.

Ingram said no one from St. Petersburg or Pinellas County has reached out to his office to discuss the convention center effort. The feasibility study calls for a review of comparable and nearby convention centers.