City calls for Gas Plant development proposals
PREVIOUS STORY: It’s back to the drawing board for the City of St. Petersburg. They are now calling on developers to submit their proposals for the Gas Plant District. Genevieve Curtis reports.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Developers and investors now have more time to create their proposals for the Historic Gas Plant District in St. Petersburg. Mayor Ken Welch wrote in a memo that he extended the deadline for the submissions.Â
What we know:
The city asked developers in October to submit their proposals after local investors ‘Ark Ellison Horus’ sent the city their plan, unsolicited.Â
The Ark Ellison Horus plan includes housing and an African American History Museum, along with an amphitheater with additional retail and hotel space.Â
Courtesy: Ark Ellison Horus, LLC
On Thursday, city council is expected to talk about the mayor’s intention to consider alternative proposals in addition to that one.Â
The mayor wrote that the Ark-Ellison-Horus proposal was not the first unsolicited proposal they received; they had one in March.
He also wrote, “Our unified work to include the Tampa Bay Rays in the long-term vision of the Historic Gas Plant and their subsequent abdication have provided more clarity for the future of our City and the property.”Â
Future of the Rays:
In October, a new ownership group took over the Tampa Bay Rays.Â
Owner Patrick Zalupski insists on 100 acres suitable for building a stadium, stores, restaurants and potentially a hotel, which is similar to the Atlanta Braves Battery District.Â
However, it’s still unclear if the owners will choose to be in Hillsborough or Pinellas County.Â
Related: New Rays ownership pledges commitment to Tampa Bay area
In the memo, the mayor wrote, “The only material change from those principles is that the inclusion of a new stadium for the  Tampa Bay Rays in partnership with Pinellas County is no longer instrumental in planning the redevelopment.”Â
He said their focus is now on repairing Tropicana Field and agrees with city council to realign money to fund other needed infrastructure and city facilities.Â
If the new owners want to build a new stadium in St. Petersburg, the mayor said development would need other funding sources.Â
What’s next:
Developers and investors now have until February 3 to send the proposals.
That gives them 105 days since the October 21 announcement for developers to submit their proposals.
The city is expected to talk about the memo and plan on Thursday, November 13 during the city council meeting.
The Source: FOX 13 gathered this information from a memo sent by the St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch to city councilors and prior reporting about the Gas Plant District.