ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - More change is coming to the landscape of St. Petersburg. The City of St. Pete opened up a proposal portal for new developers interested in redeveloping the Tropicana Field site.

This is not a new idea - the city has been planning this for the last five years.

“We are looking for to seeing world class developers who are used to handling significant, major projects that are generational in their impact," said St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman.

Prospective developers just need to go to the City's website to apply.

The area spans 86 acres between 5th Ave. South and 1st Ave. South, and 16th St. South and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street. To attract the right developer, the city is already committed to $75 million for infrastructure, along with reminding any developer this is in the city's Opportunity Zone which allows for more building incentives.

On top of those promises, the Mayor also said this would not be a rush job and that the area's history would be kept in mind for redevelopment.

“The history of this site is critical. And it really plays into our vision statement of honoring our past as we pursue our future. Obviously this site has a significant history," said Kriseman.

Rui Farias agrees. He is the Executive Director for the St. Petersburg Museum of History.

"It does have a lot of history. African American laborers that laid the tracks actually for the Orange Belt Railway in the late 1800s and their families created the neighborhoods that is now the Trop District," said Farias.

Today, it's easy to only think of the Tropicana Field Stadium. But for more than 150 years, neighborhoods, churches and businesses were built in the same spot.

“It was an historic African American neighborhood, that was pretty much demolished to build a baseball stadium. To give that neighborhood, and the people who helped created that neighborhood and city some credit, is an amazing thing," said Farias. 

With the area's history in mind, Kriseman says this redevelopment will take time.

“This is not a 30-day and turn around, this is a generational development. And this is really our chance as a city to get it right for this community," said Kriseman.

As for the ball field, that is still up in the air. In their proposals, the city is asking the developers to provide their thoughts on what the area could look like with or without a baseball stadium. Kriseman said the Tampa Bay Rays management is in the loop on all future development plans.

“As far as the relationship with the Rays, Brian Auld and I have had conversations. He is aware and the Rays, along with Mr. Sternberg, that the RFP was going out. They are supportive of that, they have been involved in this process, in fact they helped pay for the master planning process," said Kriseman.