Mixed-Use Development and Zoning Changes<\/p>\n
One of the most impactful aspects of the master plan could be its call for updates to the City\u2019s land use and zoning regulations within the Innovation District.<\/p>\n
Currently, the area is governed by a patchwork of nine different zoning categories, including Institutional Center (IC), Employment Center (EC), Corridor Commercial Traditional (CCT), and more\u2014many of which were not designed to accommodate modern mixed-use development in a coastal environment. <\/p>\n
The plan recommends developing new zoning overlays and design standards that would allow for a broader mix of uses, including office, lab space, hotels, multifamily housing, restaurants, and marine-related uses, particularly near the waterfront.<\/p>\n
Increased density is also on the table, with bonuses tied to community benefits such as workforce and affordable housing, public open space, infrastructure improvements, marine uses, and additional resiliency measures. <\/p>\n
While the plan emphasizes maintaining existing height limits near residential neighborhoods and complying with FAA restrictions near Albert Whitted Airport, it also suggests taller and more intense development in appropriate areas.<\/p>\n
Affordable and workforce housing is repeatedly highlighted as a priority, especially housing that serves students, healthcare workers, and employees within the Innovation District. <\/p>\n
The plan suggests exploring opportunities within nearby zoning districts to expand housing options while preserving the character of surrounding neighborhoods.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mixed-Use Development and Zoning Changes One of the most impactful aspects of the master plan could be its…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":120769,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":{"0":"post-120768","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-st-petersburg","8":"tag-st-pete","9":"tag-st-pete-headlines","10":"tag-st-pete-news","11":"tag-st-petersburg","12":"tag-st-petersburg-headlines","13":"tag-st-petersburg-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120768\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}