City of St. Petersburg leaders provided updates on a variety of projects at the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership Developer’s Council meeting Tuesday.
According to its website, the 60-year-old organization is “dedicated to thoughtful growth and urban redevelopment” and focuses on “big-picture, long-range issues and works to form a shared vision for St. Petersburg’s future.”
Evan Mory, the City’s director of transportation, discussed converting 3rd and 4th Street to two-way thoroughfares. The project is part of a multi-year effort, which dates back to 2001, to update one-way streets downtown.
Many conversion projects have already been completed. These include 1st and 2nd Streets, 2nd Avenue South and Mirror Lake Drive.
He explained that the 3rd and 4th Street conversion can enhance access and safety. The effort can also help reduce wrong way driving incidents, improve visibility for businesses and make the downtown area more walkable.
“It will shorten trips because drivers can go directly to the destination,” Mory said. “They don’t have to go past it and then come back.”
From 2020 to 2022, the City, Forward Pinellas and the Florida Department of Transportation conducted a Downtown St. Petersburg Mobility Study. This led to the prioritization of the project. The City Council approved the study’s Action Plan in June 2022.
He added that 58% of people who participated in a 2021 survey were “strongly supportive” of a 3rd and 4th Street two-way conversion.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has allocated funds in a multi-year plan for the project. However, this does not mean that they are guaranteed. The organization budgets on a yearly basis.
Mory explained that the department has jurisdiction over sections of the streets and will pay for the design and construction. As part of the deal, some of these sections will be transferred to the City.
Currently, the St. Petersburg transportation department is negotiating a preliminary Memorandum of Understanding/Intergovernmental Agreement with FDOT, which will be brought to the City Council for approval.
Design is expected to begin in 2029 once funding is secured. Stakeholders and community members will be able to engage in the process. This will help, he said, determine lane assignments and other project elements. Construction is anticipated to commence in 2031 or 2032.
Beth Herendeen, City Development Administration managing director, provided an update on several projects as well.
A draft master plan for the Port of St. Petersburg, located in the downtown area, was presented to the Public Services and Infrastructure Committee March 12. The most recent plan was released in 1999. Community and stakeholder engagement was key in developing the new document.
Concepts in the plan include a terminal building for small cruise ships, a dock, a park and restaurant space. Additionally, she said, there is potential for a maintenance repair and overhaul area and more parking options.
The Maritime and Defense Technology Hub, managed by the St. Petersburg Innovation District, and its proposed extension “Hub 2” are also mentioned.
Herendeen added that the Advanced Air Mobility Task Force researched the feasibility of using Albert Whitted Airport as a vertiport for electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs). It presented its findings to City Council in February.
The Florida Department of Transportation was chosen this month to be a part of the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation’s Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program. This initiative was designed to accelerate “the safe integration of next-generation Advanced Air Mobility aircraft into the national airspace,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website.
“I think the work of the Task Force really has positioned St. Petersburg to be a part of that discussion,” she said, “with Tampa and other regional airports.”
Albert Whitted Airport experienced significant hangar damage during Hurricane Milton in 2024. Conversations about the rebuilding process will take place at a Public Services and Infrastructure committee meeting May 14.
Herendeen said that redevelopment on the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina has been underway for a few years. Currently, City staff is working on negotiating a contract with contractor Skanska. The final agreement will “hopefully” be reviewed by the City Council, she explained, in the “next few months.” Skanska was selected in February. Additionally, the layout and configuration of all three basins will be finalized this year.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies men’s soccer team has requested a one year extension at Al Lang Stadium in the downtown area, Herendeen added. This will also “hopefully” be presented to the City Council “within the next few months.”
Tropicana Field is “ready” for the Tampa Bay Rays’ home opener April 6 after an extensive repair project. The facility experienced severe damage from Hurricane Milton. She said that the effort was completed on time and under budget.