In the late 1980s, an African-American neighborhood in St. Petersburg, Fla., known as the Historic Gas Plant District, was the victim of displacement by the city to make way for the construction of the Tropicana Field stadium.
Fast forward to September 19 of this year, when the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball team announced that it had reached an agreement with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County on a $6.5 billion, 86-acre mixed-use development that will include a new 30,000-seat ballpark and an array of office, housing, hotel, retail, and restaurant space totaling 8 million sf. (The stadium will be between 850,000 and 950,000 sf.)
The first phase of this project’s 20-year buildout is scheduled to begin construction late next year and be completed by opening day of the 2028 baseball season.
The developer Hines, through its Historic Gas Plant Partnership, is the master developer on this project, which will occur on land currently occupied by Tropicana Field. Hines’ involvement includes a $50 million commitment to equity initiatives with South St. Petersburg that encompass affordable housing, employment and business support, education programs, and minority/women owned business enterprise hiring.
Part of Entertainment District trend
This project can be placed within a larger development trend for entertainment districts that are proliferating around the country. Among the metros where entertainment districts have been proposed, or are currently under construction, are Miami, Gainesville, and Pompano Beach, Fla.; Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo.; Anaheim, Calif.; Norman, Okla.; Clarksville, Tenn., and Springdale, Ark. In many cases, as in St. Petersburg, these districts are positioned as vital pieces of larger urban revitalization and economic growth campaigns.
The St. Petersburg project, when it’s completed, will increase the number affordable housing units built by the Partnership to 1,200, with at least half of those units to be built within the redeveloped district.
The project will include 4,800 market-rate housing units, 600 senior-living units, 1.4 million sf of office and medical space, 750,000 sf of retail, 750 hotel rooms, 100,000 sf of performance/event space that include a 3,000- to 4,000-seat concert hall; 100,000 sf of conference and meeting space, 50,000 sf of cultural and community space that encompasses the Carter G. Woodson African American Museum of Florida; 14 acres of public open space, and 14,000 parking spaces.
The Rays will pay more than half of the $1.3 billion cost to build the new ballpark, and the city and county will contribute an aggregate $600 million.
“Hines … is honored to bring this transformative, city-defining project to life,” said Michael Harrison, Senior Managing Director with Hines, in a prepared statement. “Our goal is to create St. Petersburg’s next great place to live, work, and play.”
The public approval process by the city and county is expected to start this fall.
Tampa Bay Rays, Hines finalize stadium-anchored multiuse district in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Jun 14, 2021
SB Architects and LandDesign unveil design for Rivana at Innovation Station
The development is located 25 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C.
Mixed-Use | Jun 10, 2021
Safdie Architects unveils design for ORCA Toronto
The project comprises nine towers in total.
Mixed-Use | Jun 7, 2021
Henning Larsen designs an active community hub for London
The project will be the firm’s first in London.
Mixed-Use | Jun 2, 2021
World’s tallest detached-core building completes in Shenzhen
Morphosis designed the project.
Mixed-Use | May 24, 2021
33-story glass mixed-use tower to rise in downtown Orlando
DLR Group is designing the project.
Mixed-Use | May 24, 2021
Olson Kundig unveils new mixed-use high-rise in Atlanta
The project is currently under construction along Atlanta’s BeltLine.
Mixed-Use | May 19, 2021
Salt Lake City mixed-use residential community will feature micro units
KTGY is designing the project.
Multifamily Housing | May 12, 2021
Affordable mixed-use housing complex completes in South Los Angeles
KFA designed the project.
Mixed-Use | May 7, 2021
Mixed-use development tops out in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood
The project will bring 160 affordable housing units to the area.
Mixed-Use | May 4, 2021
Renderings of Williamsburg’s largest new residential development revealed
Woods Bagot designed the project.