ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg City Council members talked publicly for the first time about Mayor Kenneth Welch’s redevelopment strategy for the Historic Gas Plant District at their Thursday meeting, and a majority were critical.

What You Need To Know

At their meeting on Thursday, five out of eight St. Petersburg City Council members were critical of the mayor’s Gas Plant strategy

Those five members said they want to see an RFP and master plan developed first 

Two city council members backed Mayor Kenneth Welch’s strategy 

On Wednesday, Welch extended the proposal window to begin in January, instead of mid-November

“Community conversations and priorities do not equal planning,” said council member Lisset Hanewicz. “I think we need a longer period, and it is once in a generation.”

Under pressure from the community, Welch sent a memo to the City Council on Wednesday, stating he was extending the city’s deadline for the proposal window to open in January, instead of mid-November.

“That will constitute 105 days since our Oct. 21 announcement,” he said. “I do not believe reissuing an RFP is necessary or beneficial. Our priorities, expressed in 23 Guiding Principles of the 2022 RFP have not changed.”

Welch said those priorities include jobs, housing, equitable economic development resilience, green space and meaningful recognition of the HGPD community.

“Our goal remains a redevelopment process that is actionable, inclusive, and true to the commitments made to the Historic Gas Plant District,” he said. “I look forward to continuing this work with Council to ensure the outcome reflects our shared values.”

Council member Corey Givens said he wants to see a master plan developed from an Urban Land Institute study first, and believes the extension is still not enough time to get everything done.

“I think it is unwise for us to rush this. We need more time,” he said. “I still don’t think 100-plus days is ample. I would like to see more.”

Council member Brandi Gabbard also said there should be a longer timeline before more proposals start flowing in.

“I don’t understand this rush for a quick win right now,” she said. “I recognize there are particular pieces of this property that we want to move forward, but I don’t necessarily believe that we need a master plan developer to even do that.”

Council member Gina Driscoll said she would like to see a new request for proposals opened up for the 86-acre site.

“I feel much more comfortable with an RFP process,” she said. “Just to be really blunt, I think if we’re going to be serious about this, start counting votes now. If I’m not comfortable with the process, I’m probably not going to be comfortable with the proposal that’s brought forward for us to vote on.”

Council member Richie Floyd, who put the RFP issue on the agenda and sparked the conversation amongst council members, said he wants to see a plan before opening the proposal window.

“I assume you heard us express concern with how we’re going about it,” he said. “Doesn’t mean I’m not going to evaluate whatever gets in front of me, but I might. It’s just harder to come to terms with something when you don’t like how you got to something.”

The only two council members who publicly backed Welch’s approach were Deborah Figgs-Sanders and Mike Harting.

“I just really want to see the Gas Plant descendants not be pushed in the back,” she said. “To me, we’re still losing the focus on why it’s called the Gas Plant project.”

Harting said he agrees that there’s no need for a new RFP, and he was glad the mayor extended the proposal window.

“I’m OK with the process the administration has set forward,” he said. “I do appreciate the mayor looking at a longer time frame.”

Chair Copley Gerdes was the only council member who did not weigh in on the topic.

The proposal window was triggered by two unsolicited bids the city has already received. The five council members critical of Welch’s approach also said an appraisal should have been done before the proposal window opens.

City Development Administrator James Corbett said the city would not negotiate a sale for the land without the appraisal first.

“By the time we get the appraisal, it would likely be in January or in February,” he said. “I also want to make sure that we time the appraisal where it’s not too dated.”