The Brief
St. Petersburg City Council will vote Thursday on whether to give a developer a one-year extension to keep its Tangerine Plaza redevelopment plan alive.
The mostly vacant, city-owned retail center sits in South St. Petersburg’s historic Deuces Live district, an area long without a full-service grocery store.
Many neighbors argue the community has waited too long for progress.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – St. Pete City Council is set to decide Thursday afternoon whether to give the Sugar Hill Group another year to meet the conditions needed to redevelop Tangerine Plaza.
The vote could reshape the future of one of South St. Petersburg’s most significant neighborhoods.
The backstory
Tangerine Plaza, located at 1794 22nd Street South, is a city-owned retail center that has sat largely vacant since the last grocery store closed in 2017. The Sugar Hill Group was selected to redevelop the site into a mixed-use project featuring affordable housing, retail, and a grocery store.
City documents show the developer still has not met key requirements, including:
Securing full financing for construction
Providing a commitment letter from a grocery store
Addressing remaining site-plan comments
The group is requesting a one-year extension, citing delays in the site-plan approval process. City staff recommends approving the extension.
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The backstory
Tangerine Plaza sits in the heart of the Deuces district, an area with deep cultural history but longstanding economic challenges. With the plaza mostly empty, residents in nearby neighborhoods have been left without convenient access to fresh food for years and often rely on corner stores or long bus rides to shop.
The plaza has become a symbol of stalled redevelopment and broken promises.
The other side
Some council members, including Corey Givens Jr., who represents the district, say the community has already waited long enough and that the city should consider proposals from other developers.
What’s next
City Council will vote at 1:30 p.m. If the extension is denied, the city says it will evaluate “the next best path” for the property, potentially reopening the development process. Organizers are planning a large rally to demonstrate their frustration with the stalled plans.
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The Source
Information in this story comes from St. Petersburg’s City Council agenda packet for Dec. 11, 2025, which outlines the Sugar Hill Group’s extension request, the city administration’s recommendations, and the status of the required development conditions. Additional background comes from previous FOX 13 News reporting.