St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said on the radio Wednesday that the city is \u201cin a better place\u201d after the Tampa Bay Rays last year pulled out of a major deal to build a new stadium and surrounding development.<\/p>\n
On WUSF\u2019s noon program, Florida Matters, Welch said the cityhas in recent months received \u201cstronger offers\u201d that go further to realize promises made to the Black residents of the community that preceded Tropicana Field. He said new proposals to develop the Historic Gas Plant District include more affordable and workforce housing and more opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are actually in a better place economically in terms of honoring those promises than we would have been with the Rays,\u201d Welch said.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s possible, he said, because the Rays gave up their half of the development rights on the site when the stadium deal was terminated<\/a>. The city can now break ground on certain parcels of land before the Rays\u2019 time at the Trop is up after the 2028 season.<\/p>\n \u201cSo yes, I was disappointed that the previous Rays ownership did not honor their commitment and the contracts that they had signed,\u201d Welch said. (The ownership of the Rays has changed since that deal fell through.) \u201cWe are still, all that said, in a better place, and I\u2019m still determined to honor those promises that I made as a candidate and that this city made to our community 40 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n Welch is running for reelection<\/a>. He is eager to move forward with developing the Gas PlantDistrict.<\/p>\n The city has eight proposals to consider after one was withdrawn,all of which were submitted after the Rays pulled out of their redevelopment deal. Only two seek to redevelop the entire property; one offers to design a master plan for the site and create development-ready parcels<\/a> the city can sell off piece by piece.<\/p>\n But the City Council, which would have a final say on any deal, doesn\u2019t appear to be in line with Welch. Council members voted 6-2 last month to oppose choosing a developer before creating a planning framework<\/a> for the site.<\/p>\n Welch said the city has studied the Trop site several times in the past few years.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really, I think, a pause without a real goal, other than us not moving forward in this administration,\u201c Welch said.<\/p>\n