\u200b\u201cToday, we stand at a crossroads,\u201d Blake wrote. \u201cThe city holds a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to redevelop 86 acres of publicly-owned land and redefine what St. Petersburg can be. Few cities ever get a second, much less a third chance like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u200bBlake mentions the Gas Plant\u2019s history early and often in his letter. He reminds readers that the area was once home to a vibrant African American community with \u201cdreams built over generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u200bHighways bifurcated neighborhoods, and the city displaced hundreds of families and businesses to build Tropicana Field and its sprawling surface parking lots. Blake noted that former residents also lost their legacy.<\/p>\n
\u200bHe called St. Petersburg 3.0 a city that \u201chonors its past while building toward a future filled with hope, joy and possibility.\u201d The letter states that the project \u201cisn\u2019t just about buildings, it\u2019s about people\u201d from \u201cevery walk of life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u200b\u201cIf you love this city, you belong here,\u201d Blake added. \u201cWhat we propose is not a monument to the past, it\u2019s a connection to the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u200bThe national investment firm with roots that \u201crun deep in St. Pete through generations\u201d has enlisted \u201cworld-class partners, builders and visionaries who have crafted some of Florida\u2019s most beautiful landmarks.\u201d Blake will introduce the development team over the next eight weeks.<\/p>\n
\u200bHis video features prominent St. Petersburg stakeholders, who alternate asking if other developers were \u201cborn here,\u201d if they \u201clive here,\u201d or if they \u201chave the capital committed to complete this project.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u200bThe 43-second video states that other bidders may have pictures, promises and \u201cguesses about the future.\u201d However, while \u201canybody can put a proposal down on paper, only a few can execute.\u201d<\/p>\n
Blake Investment Partners (BIP<\/a>) submitted a $260 million all-cash offer for the prime real estate in March, just hours after former Tampa Bay Rays<\/a> owner Stuart Sternberg announced he was exiting a long-negotiated $6.7 billion redevelopment deal. The firm would have provided $60 million to repair a storm-damaged Trop<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u200bAt the time, Blake said he could not fault Sternberg for making wise business decisions based on financial returns in the aftermath of two hurricanes. \u201cMy firm would like them to stay in our town.\u201d<\/p>\n \u200bWhile his initial bid failed to gain any traction, the city began advancing<\/a> a $6.8 billion proposal from ARK Investment Management, Ellison Development and Horus Construction in October. Mayor Ken Welch decided to postpone<\/a> the state-mandated 30-day window for alternative submissions in early November.<\/p>\n \u200bThe latest proposal included myriad project renderings. ARK Ellison Horus offered to purchase<\/a> the initial 86-acre Gas Plant site and an additional 9.5 acres for $202 million.<\/p>\n
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