{"id":252594,"date":"2026-04-30T15:48:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T15:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/252594\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T15:48:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T15:48:07","slug":"ahead-of-st-pete-mayoral-primary-candidates-talk-resilience-historic-gas-plant-district-affordability-the-crows-nest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/252594\/","title":{"rendered":"Ahead of St. Pete mayoral primary, candidates talk resilience, Historic Gas Plant\u00a0District, affordability\u00a0\u00a0 \u2013 The Crow’s Nest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paul Congemi was a seventh candidate for the mayoral race, but\u00a0dropped out<\/a>\u00a0on April 21, citing \u201cserious health issues.\u201d In his resignation, he wrote that\u00a0Welch\u00a0has his vote.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Photos courtesy of City of St. Petersburg, brandi4stpete on Instagram and campaign sites of Maria Scruggs and Jim Large.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By Alisha Durosier and Julia Birdsall\u00a0<\/p>\n

The race for the next St. Petersburg mayor is a packed one, with six candidates in the running, including the sitting mayor,\u00a0Kenneth T. Welch<\/a>\u00a0and former Florida Gov.\u00a0Charlie Crist<\/a>, who was the latest to file as of April 27.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Other candidates include long-serving public administrator\u00a0Maria Scruggs<\/a>, District 2 Councilwoman\u00a0Brandi Gabbard<\/a>, retired St. Petersburg Fire Chief\u00a0Jim Large<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0former\u00a0Shore Acres Neighborhood Association President\u00a0Kevin Batdorf<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Crow\u2019s Nest\u00a0spoke to four of the seven candidates,\u00a0who expanded on their campaign ideals and spoke of what they want the future of the city to look like.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many of the new candidates are running on ideals fueled by the issues\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0seen arise in the past few years \u2014 in turn, they want to fill those gaps.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that we are in a position where we need leadership that has real action associated with the decisions that they make that impact everyday people\u2019s lives,\u201d Gabbard said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gabbard emphasized the city\u2019s need for a proactive local government in place of a \u201creactive\u201d one, mostly in reference to the infrastructure issues brought on by the back-to-back hurricanes in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Large, who\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0consider himself a politician, made better hurricane preparedness a focal point in his campaign as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe damage that\u00a0[Hurricane]\u00a0Helene did was\u00a0mainly [to]\u00a0people\u2019s livelihoods, their possessions\u2026 sitting on the curb for months afterwards. I saw how that was handled very poorly,\u201d Large told\u00a0The Crow\u2019s Nest. \u201cThe prioritization was not correct,\u00a0and the\u00a0utilization\u00a0of resources was absent. The city has a tremendous\u00a0amount\u00a0of resources that\u00a0weren\u2019t\u00a0utilized.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Large highlighted a moment during his tenure as fire chief when he\u00a0requested\u00a0that the city\u00a0purchase\u00a0high-water rescue vehicles. Large said they were repeatedly\u00a0deemed\u00a0\u201cnot a priority\u201d until the devastation caused by Helene and Milton inspired the city to make the costly purchase.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gabbard believes that the city is \u201cfalling short\u201d when it comes to storm resiliency efforts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe storms of 2024 exposed those vulnerabilities in a much greater way. And had we been more proactive, I believe we would have been more prepared,\u201d Gabbard said. \u201cI want us to become the kind of city that is planning for the future and looking at ways that we can protect our residents before the worst-case scenario comes.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Welch acknowledged the weather-related damage that the city faced in 2024,\u00a0and, in response, intends to implement St. Pete Agile Resilience or SPAR.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

With SPAR, Welch aims to implement a series of city-funded programs that would\u00a0expedite\u00a0long-term projects to better fortify St. Petersburg against climate change-related disasters.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Welch, St. Petersburg\u2019s infrastructure was not built for the level of impact residents are experiencing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to get those done now because we\u2019re seeing the impacts of sea level rise and extreme weather\u2026 much quicker than we thought,\u201d Welch said. \u201cIn 2024, we saw, again, the highest level of impact\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0ever seen\u2026 So now\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0going\u00a0to have to adapt more quickly than we had\u00a0anticipated\u00a0doing. That means spending those dollars up front, rather than waiting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Welch is also invested in economic and community resiliency, with one of the biggest projects \u2014 an\u00a0ideal he ran on in his 2021 campaign \u2014 the development of Tropicana Field and the\u00a0Historic Gas Plant district<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since the Tampa Bay Rays and Hines, a real estate developer,\u00a0pulled out\u00a0<\/a>of the development deal with the city in 2024, the city has considered four out of eight proposals, which will be subject to community feedback starting on April 30.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Scruggs, her plans for the Historic Gas Plant District are \u201cvery definite,\u201d she told\u00a0The Crow\u2019s Nest.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI would scrap all of this nonsense about these four proposals, because we have not done the requisite planning to address the current conditions in St. Petersburg,\u201d Scruggs said.\u00a0\u201cWe have changed, the economy has changed, the environment has changed, the people have changed. And to move forward with these developers for political expediency is political suicide.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Scruggs suggests a more thorough approach to the Gas Plant District development, noting that\u00a0previous\u00a0plans, under two separate mayors, have been unsuccessful.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is pure insanity to me that this city, this administration would not say,\u00a0\u2018Wait a minute, we need to step back and we need to assess what our current conditions are, and then develop a vision for what we want the Historic Gas Plant to be,\u2019\u201d Scruggs said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to many of the candidates, the\u00a086 acres\u00a0Tropicana Field sits atop of is one of the most valuable pieces of land the city owns,\u00a0and Scruggs wants to ensure that the city\u2019s plans prioritize longevity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re going to come and do the song and dance for people,\u201d Scruggs said, referencing the April 30\u00a0Historic Gas Plant Open House<\/a>. \u201cThat is wonderful to get that input. And I believe wholeheartedly in engaging\u2026 the public in decisions like this. But it\u00a0has to\u00a0go deeper than that. It\u00a0has to\u00a0get to a vision that not only looks at what the people want, but what is in the best\u00a0interest of the public 30, 40 years down the road. And we just have not done that type of planning.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now that the property\u2019s development rights are back in the city\u2019s hands, Welch said plans will have an even greater impact and the city will have more flexibility in its decisions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a big [factor] in terms of our leverage with anybody that we negotiate with,\u201d Welch said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Welch, a former resident of the Historic Gas Plant District, notes that the development process has dragged on for far too long.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you speak to descendants, people who were on the property back in the \u201870s and \u201880s,\u00a0who had to give up their homes and their churches, their businesses, in the name of progress, they would say that it\u2019s taken way too long,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Large does not believe that any of the proposed plans for the Historic Gas Plant District will move forward\u00a0in the near future.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He believes that the Rays\u2019 projection of transferring to a Tampa-based stadium by 2029 is \u201cbeyond optimistic; it\u2019s just unrealistic,\u201d and instead they will have to extend their contract with the city of St. Petersburg.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Based on feedback Gabbard has received from residents, she wants to put the city\u2019s needs at the forefront of any development plans.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have not talked about there being an option by which the city is the one that\u00a0benefits\u00a0from the future value of this land. And so,\u00a0I think that those\u00a0are conversations we need to have,\u201d Gabbard said.\u00a0 \u201cI am committed to a serious exercise in which we explore, along with our community, what the greatest community benefit for that land could be.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gabbard also\u00a0seeks\u00a0to put the city\u2019s needs first by tackling the affordability issue residents\u00a0face.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI also look at food insecurity as essential infrastructure,\u201d Gabbard said. \u201cIt\u2019s very important that we, for once and for all, solve food insecurity in our community and make sure that every person, regardless of where they live in the city, has access to healthy and affordable food.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gabbard has already worked towards solving this issue in her time at city hall and wants to take her efforts a step further as mayor. For example, she would like to develop a cooperative grocery \u2014 a store owned and\u00a0operated\u00a0by community members \u2014 in South St. Petersburg. Gabbard believes that a community-led grocery store will be both successful and sustainable based on country-wide examples.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Scruggs recognizes that St. Petersburg is facing an affordability crisis, noting that homes and apartment buildings are specifically catering to higher-income renters and owners.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

She intends to tackle this issue by working with local businesses to build what she calls \u201ceconomic clusters,\u201d a collaborative group of local businesses in the same industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou develop strategies that help raise their income and help reduce their costs with things like collective buying, collective marketing, referrals,\u00a0and collective purchasing,\u201d Scruggs told\u00a0The Crow\u2019s Nest. \u201cThose strategies are aimed at increasing revenue slash profit and decreasing expenses.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Through this plan, Scruggs intends to create a \u201cliveable\u00a0wage taskforce,\u201d where she\u00a0convenes\u00a0local industry leaders.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Scruggs said that as mayor, convening will\u00a0be her superpower.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very comfortable in saying that I know what I know and I also know what I don\u2019t know,\u201d she said, referencing issues with weather-related impacts and infrastructure issues. \u201cThat\u2019s\u00a0not something that a mayor can just [say], \u2018Oh, I got elected mayor, so I know what the answer is.\u2019 Again, using the power of\u00a0convening\u00a0the right stakeholders to say,\u00a0\u2018lLook, this is what we have as an issue in St. Petersburg. What can we do?\u2019\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Welch, his superpower is the challenges he faced. He noted that\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0not nervous for the upcoming election.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI just know that\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0been tested like no other administration. And we kept focused.\u00a0I think we\u00a0have a record to show folks, \u2018Here\u2019s what we\u2019ve done through some of the most difficult times we\u2019ve ever seen,\u2019\u201d Welch said. \u201cThat\u2019s the leadership\u00a0you\u2019ll\u00a0get with me. Folks know what\u00a0they\u2019ll\u00a0get,\u00a0and they can\u00a0make a decision\u00a0on that.\u00a0So,\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0looking forward to it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\t Post Views: 32 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\"More<\/a>
Written by: Alisha Durosier<\/a> on April 30, 2026.
Last revised by: Julia Ferrara<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Paul Congemi was a seventh candidate for the mayoral race, but\u00a0dropped out\u00a0on April 21, citing \u201cserious health issues.\u201d…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":252595,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-252594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252594","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=252594"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252594\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=252594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=252594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=252594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}