Mayor Ken Welch appears to have made the biggest development decision of his administration one day before he planned to publicly announce it.<\/p>\n
Welch has reportedly selected The Burg Bid, led by Blake Investment Partners, along with the Pinellas County Housing Authority, as his preferred team to redevelop the Historic Gas Plant District. The city is expected to formally announce the selection Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
Florida Politics publisher Peter Schorsch broke the news Tuesday, during a Suncoast Tiger Bay forum. He did not cite a source.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t lie, I\u2019m very excited to see this news,\u201d Council member Corey Givens Jr. told the Tampa Bay Times Tuesday, confirming the choice. \u201cMy hope is that whatever happens after this election won\u2019t impact this development.\u201d<\/p>\n
Welch himself would not confirm the apparent selection Wednesday morning, telling the Catalyst\u00a0\u201cThe process is complete and we will make the official announcement at 9 a.m. tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Givens did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Catalyst.<\/p>\n
The decision follows months of presentations, public meetings and evaluations after four finalist teams emerged to compete for one of the city\u2019s most consequential redevelopment opportunities. The 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District became available after the collapse of the Tampa Bay Rays and Hines redevelopment agreement last year.<\/p>\n
If confirmed Thursday, Welch\u2019s selection would pair two local entities with markedly different strengths.<\/p>\n
Blake Investment Partners\u2019 proposal, dubbed \u201cThe Burg Bid,\u201d offered the city $275 million for roughly 58 acres of the site \u2013 the highest cash offer among the finalists. The proposal also promises approximately 3,600 income-restricted housing units, though roughly half would be constructed off-site. During the city\u2019s public town hall, the development team emphasized immediate construction of housing, office, retail and parking while also proposing a community investment fund that would allow residents to invest in portions of the project.<\/p>\n
The Pinellas County Housing Authority emphasized that they \u201cdo not build anything except quality affordable housing,\u201d representatives said during the April town hall, arguing there would be \u201cno opt out\u201d from affordability. Their proposal prioritized mixed-income neighborhoods, affordable housing early in the development phases and included plans for a health clinic and direct connections to the Pinellas Trail.<\/p>\n
But Thursday\u2019s announcement is unlikely to settle the future of the Gas Plant District.<\/p>\n
While the mayor chooses a preferred developer, City Council must still approve any eventual redevelopment agreement. Negotiations remain ahead, and with St. Petersburg\u2019s municipal election approaching, the project is poised to become one of the defining issues of the mayoral race.<\/p>\n
Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, one of Welch\u2019s challengers for office this November election cycle, has repeatedly called for slowing the redevelopment process, arguing the city should pause before committing the land to a single developer.<\/p>\n