St. Petersburg Residents Urge “Plan First” Approach to Historic Gas Plant Redevelopment
St. Petersburg, FL – A coalition of community groups is raising concerns over Mayor Kenneth Welch’s proposed 30-day comment period for an unsolicited development proposal for the 80-acre Historic gas Plant site. Activists argue the current approach prioritizes a speedy sale over a carefully considered plan that benefits residents and ensures responsible development of a valuable public asset.
For the past three years, the League of Women Voters’ social Justice Action team, alongside groups like the Suncoast Sierra Club and Home Runs Matter, have been deeply involved in researching the history and potential future of the Gas Plant site. Their work, including community listening sessions, voter polls, and published opinion pieces, underscores a central belief: this land belongs to the people of st. Petersburg, and its development should be driven by their needs and priorities.
“This isn’t just about bricks and mortar,” explains a spokesperson for the League. “It’s about ensuring that the benefits of this redevelopment – and there are perhaps billions of dollars at stake – stay within our community.”
Concerns Over Timing and Developer Experience
The current proposal involves a 30-day public comment period on a plan submitted by two local businesses. critics point out the timing - falling between Thanksgiving and Christmas – as deliberately inconvenient,limiting meaningful resident participation. Furthermore, neither developer has a proven track record of successfully completing a large-scale, multi-use development of this magnitude.
“Accepting this unsolicited proposal risks selling off our land at a bargain price to developers who lack the experience to handle a project of this complexity,” the spokesperson added.
A Better Path: The “Plan First” Model
Community advocates are championing a “Plan First” approach, a strategy successfully implemented in numerous other cities. This method involves:
* Engaging Experienced Master Planners: Hiring award-winning professionals to create a comprehensive Master plan guided by community input.
* Establishing Zoning Ordinances: Adopting clear zoning regulations to ensure responsible and sustainable development.
* Soliciting qualified Developers: Inviting developers to bid on parcels or lease agreements after a clear vision for the site has been established.
The value of Leasing vs. Selling
A key argument centers on whether the city should sell or lease the land. Advocates strongly believe leasing offers meaningful advantages:
* Retained Land Value: The city retains ownership and benefits from the increasing land value over the decades-long development process – potentially billions of dollars that could be reinvested in the community.
* Continued Control: Leasing allows the city to maintain control over who benefits from the development and what is built, ensuring alignment with community goals.
* Preventing Windfall Profits: Selling the land would allow developers to reap the rewards of long-term land gratitude, diverting wealth away from the city and its residents.
Take Action: Contact Your City Council
Residents are urged to contact Mayor Welch and their
