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St. Petersburg City Councilwoman Brandi Gabbard on July 24, 2025. Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\nSt. Petersburg City Councilwoman Brandi Gabbard on July 24, 2025. Credit: Dave Decker \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n
The race to unseat St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch includes a councilmember.<\/p>\n
District 2 Councilwoman Brandi Gabbard told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay she feels St. Petersburg is \u201cat a critical crossroads right now.\u201d She wants to \u201chit the round running on day one of being elected.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need proactive decision-making leadership that is going to help to get our city back on track,\u201d Gabbard said. \u201cAnd I believe that is the kind of leadership I have shown on city council.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 49-year-old real estate broker and councilmember of more than nine years said her role grants her a \u201cunique perspective.\u201d And in Gabbard\u2019s campaign, \u201clivability\u201d in St. Pete is her main focus.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to really be working, not only to help residents with affordability issues in housing, or working on various different economic opportunities to bring better-paying jobs to the city\u2014but also to move government out of people\u2019s way,\u201d Gabbard said.<\/p>\n
On that note, Gabbard counts infrastructure and permitting into the equation\u2014both of which frustrated St. Pete residents after their homes suffered immense damage from hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gabbard said that in the aftermath of the storms, her office operated like \u201ca triage center\u201d for those that requested repair permits for their properties. For her, the city\u2019s permitting process is something she\u2019s \u201ccommitted to digging into.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand, on a much more detailed level than probably anyone else who is running, how we can address those issues and really help to make sure that the government is aiding people,\u201d Gabbard told CL.<\/p>\n
On top of that, Gabbard said she advocates for St. Pete\u2019s growth and development\u2014but in a way that benefits and upholds the city\u2019s renowned art scene.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that there is a lot of work that can be done to bring those two interests together,\u201d Gabbard said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s already happening very organically in the community today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gabbard knows of the mixed conversations surrounding projects like the pink-painted Ventnor apartments<\/a>\u2014and while she supports a cross-sector collaboration, she said it\u2019s still important to ensure artists receive actual opportunities to benefit from development\u2014especially if developers work with them.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think the sky is really the limit on that and we\u2019ve only begun to kind of scratch the surface,\u201d Gabbard told CL. \u201cBut that collaboration and that working together, that is a cornerstone of the leadership that I have shown as a city council member and something that I would continue to lead.\u201d<\/p>\n The sky isn\u2019t the limit for Gabbard when it comes to Mayor Ken Welch\u2019s plans to redevelop the Gas Plant District.\u00a0<\/p>\n St. Petersburg City Council backed Gabbard when she led a resolution to put Welch\u2019s plans for the district on hold\u2014a move she said was made to cautiously navigate a \u201cunique opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are the stewards of the future generations, and we have a lot of promises that we have to uphold that were made to prior generations,\u201d Gabbard said. \u201cAnd there is a real call from our community to make sure that before we turn this property\u2014or any portion of this property\u2014over to a developer, that we are really doing it with a planning-first mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n Gabbard told CL her disagreement with Welch\u2019s fast push for the district\u2019s redevelopment is a difference in vision and in leadership style, and she wants to make sure the city makes the correct move in painting that picture.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to make sure that we are asking the right questions to be able to determine if 86 acres is really the amount of land that we should be turning over in its entirety,\u201d Gabbard said.<\/p>\n For Gabbard, those questions include whether a portion of the land should be entrusted to a master developer, or whether the city should own the entire land and build much-needed resources there.<\/p>\n Gabbard said that some assets she\u2019d consider for that space include senior housing and recreation, a new fire station and an intermodal center.\u00a0<\/p>\n And it looks like Gabbard doesn\u2019t want the city\u2019s \u201cprocess of selection\u201d for developers to be spontaneous, either. She said she didn\u2019t like how the council skipped its Request for Proposal (RFP) process but instead \u201cdid a reactive notice\u201d based on a recent bid it received.<\/p>\n Gabbard said she\u2019s bringing a planning initiative to council to address that and hopes that conversation will happen in April.<\/p>\n Gabbard and Mayor Welch do find common ground on their support for diversity, equity and inclusion.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s really the fabric of what we are built on,\u201d Gabbard said. \u201cAnd St. Petersburg is a place where everyone should be able to thrive and be able to find economic opportunity and be able to be who they are, love who they love and really be respected in their respective places.\u201d<\/p>\n But while Gabbard said state laws can\u2019t touch St. Pete\u2019s diverse identity, they could buffer the economic opportunities the city usually provides.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, as mayor, I would do everything that I can to push back against those particular laws,\u201d Gabbard told CL.<\/p>\n Gabbard said a political committee will support her but is still in its early stages\u2014and she mainly seeks community support. She hosts her kickoff event on Tuesday, April 7 at 15th Street Farm at 5:30 p.m.<\/p>\n Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.<\/a><\/p>\n Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0BlueSky<\/a><\/p>\n This article appears in Mar. 26 \u2013 Apr. 1<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n \t