In the first forum that featured all six candidates running for mayor, audience members perked up at a question about how to balance new high-rises with St. Petersburg\u2019s character and identity.<\/p>\n
Candidates spoke about how neighborhoods feel neglected as high-rises soar downtown while the 2024 hurricane season underscored the need for infrastructure to protect nearby flood-prone neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe focus has been downtown, downtown, downtown, and how can the buildings be higher, higher, higher. Missing from that conversation is what about the people, how does that impact the people that live in their joining neighborhoods?\u201d said former NAACP St. Petersburg branch president Maria Scruggs. \u201cWe focused on what the developers wanted. So the way I would start with the conversation with development is to focus on the people first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Downtown St. Petersburg has been in a development boom over the past decade. While some welcome the growth and increased tax base, others fear the charm that drew artists into an eclectic, affordable city is disappearing.<\/p>\n
\u201cHigh-rises are not the problem,\u201d said Mayor Ken Welch, seeking a second term. \u201cI grew up here when we would love to have an active downtown, and now we\u2019ve got it. The development is happening in the areas we planned for over 30 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe real issue is infrastructure. If we had zero growth, we still would have a problem with our infrastructure,\u201d Welch said. \u201cThe issues in (2024) weren\u2019t because we had growth, it\u2019s because our infrastructure hasn\u2019t been kept up. That\u2019s really what we need to focus on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Former Florida Gov. and U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist said development has done a lot for downtown and helps pay for essential services. He said he would only bring forward development that respects the city\u2019s history, people and future. <\/p>\n
\u201cSt. Pete is a charming place to live and is a special place to live, and so our development has to be smart. It has to be regulated appropriately,\u201d Crist said. \u201cIt provides jobs, so I\u2019m for it, but I\u2019m not for ruining the charm that makes St. Petersburg such a special place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Former St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Chief Jim Large, who attended his first mayoral forum Thursday, said people in the community ask him what he will do about development.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe development has far outpaced the maintenance of our infrastructure, and I think we just have to slow down,\u201d Large said. \u201cWe can\u2019t keep putting tomorrow\u2019s development on yesterday\u2019s infrastructure. It\u2019s time to fix our infrastructure and focus on that, and then let\u2019s talk about future development.\u201d<\/p>\n
Candidates Brandi Gabbard and Kevin Batdorf, both of whom live in flood-prone neighborhoods still reeling from the 2024 hurricanes, said they would focus on making permits easier to get and studying the effects of development on the city\u2019s water, stormwater and wastewater systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as our neighborhoods continue to sit vulnerable and do not have the ability to rebuild and rebuild stronger, higher and faster, then they will continue to look for us to become more dense and move into these corridors,\u201d said Gabbard, a two-term City Council member.<\/p>\n
Batdorf, the former president of the Shore Acres neighborhood association, said he would require a study for every development that would show the new project\u2019s potential effect on the surrounding area.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s how we control development,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s how we fix our infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Times Election Coverage<\/p>\n
Congressional midterms: St. Petersburg and Wauchula are in the same congressional district. We drove it<\/a><\/p>\n Property tax amendment: DeSantis has claims about his tax amendment. Here\u2019s what it actually does.<\/a><\/p>\n Voting: Mail ballot requests are down across Tampa Bay<\/a><\/p>\n State races: Here\u2019s who wants to represent Tampa Bay in Legislature, Cabinet primaries<\/a><\/p>\n Congressional candidates:Who\u2019s running for the US House in Tampa Bay after redistricting?<\/a><\/p>\n