The public space management consultant has recently set his sights on Williams Park. Biederman is familiar with the area and believes it \u201cis clear\u201d that St. Petersburg is heading \u201cin a great direction.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI love to go into a situation where you don\u2019t have to raise massive amounts of capital to redo fundamental design flaws,\u201d Biederman told the Catalyst. \u201cI never thought the problem with Bryant Park was the design, and I would say the same thing for Williams Park.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A reborn Williams Park Partnership recently received $800,000 in state funding<\/a> to increase activity, safety and the vibrancy of St. Petersburg\u2019s first designated green space. The St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership believed Biederman\u2019s expertise could propel the project.\u00a0<\/p>\n Biederman said he didn\u2019t \u201cagree\u201d to sign a contract that began Oct. 1. \u201cIt was my honor.\u201d<\/p>\n That feeling is mutual. CEO Jason Mathis called Biederman a \u201clegend in urban management and placemaking,\u201d and one of the \u201cworld\u2019s foremost experts in successful city parks.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Biederman first learned about St. Petersburg when former Mayor Rick Baker made a speech in New York \u201cmany years ago.\u201d Biederman, who had visited Tampa, made a point to explore the Sunshine City the next time he was in the area.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mathis later invited Biederman to speak at the downtown partnership\u2019s 2023 Development Summit. \u201cIt was a very intelligent audience,\u201d Biederman said.<\/p>\n The partnership then met with Biderman on his home turf. He led a group from St. Petersburg on a tour of Bryant Park in April.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 9.6-acre park in Midtown Manhattan had suffered a severe, decades-long decline by the time Biederman co-founded the nonprofit Bryant Park Corporation (BPC) in 1980. His organization began an extensive process by enhancing security and sanitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 1987, the City of New York signed a 15-year agreement with BPC that gave the group sole responsibility for the park\u2019s management, programming and improvements. Adding and improving entrances, lighting and interior paths \u2013 core components<\/a> of the Williams Park project \u2013 were among the first steps.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we first started at Bryant Park, there were no women in it, because it was so violent that you wouldn\u2019t dream of it,\u201d Biederman said. \u201cAnd over a steady progression, 38 years, we\u2019ve turned it into a space that\u2019s primarily female.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership toured Bryant Park in April.<\/p>\n Many of those efforts align with potential improvements to Williams Park. BPC restored Bryant Park\u2019s monuments, renovated restrooms, built two restaurant pavilions and implemented four food kiosks. It now features seasonal attractions, including a winter village with an ice skating rink.\u00a0<\/p>\n The New York Times called the park\u2019s reopening in 1992 a \u201ctriumph by many.\u201d Biederman has since launched Biederman Redevelopment Ventures (BRV), which helps other organizations create transformative public spaces.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not perfect, but we\u2019re really safe,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we\u2019ve done that in about five or 10 other places in the country.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Bryan-Park-meeting-1024x768.jpg\")
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