ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Residents will have a chance to weigh in on the plans for where the community-based funding associated with Historic Gas Plant District redevelopment should go during a meeting set for Wednesday night.

The public meeting, that the city is called a Community Benefits Information Session, is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Coliseum on 535 4th Ave. N.

The meeting with start with a presentation from the Hines-Rays developers and opportunities for residents to speak will follow.

Want to provide feedback?

  •  Community Benefits Information Session set for 5:30p.m. at the Coliseum on 535 4th Ave. N

  •  Presentation from Hines-Rays begins at 5:30 p.m. 

  • The public comment period begins at 6:10 p.m. and each speaker is limited to 3 minutes

  • Speakers will be selected by a random number generator until 8:30 p.m. 

The city has set up a Community Benefits Advisory Council (CBAC) who will get feedback from residents and help advise Mayor Welch on future decisions.

Along with a new ballpark, the partnership with Hines-Rays included the promise of funding that would be beneficial to the community. That funding will go towards affordable housing, sustainability projects, public parking, transportation, and help for small businesses.

A number of residents plan to attend Wednesday’s meeting and ask Mayor Welch and his team for clarity on what the promise of more affordable housing really means.

“The City of St. Pete is not doing enough and they’re really only scratching the surface of it,” said local reverend Ronald Wade. “We really don’t know what the target amount of affordable housing units are.”

Resident Pat Fling, who hopes to speak at Wednesday’s meeting, wants to make sure the millions in funding that’s going to housing is going to housing that truly is affordable.

“Because there’s no legal definition of affordable, they can call affordable housing that really is not affordable,” she said. 

The proposed community benefits also include $50 million in intentional equity commitment. The breakdown includes $15 million for existing city programs that support housing opportunities at a wide range of affordability levels, $13 million for small business incubation, $3.75 million for internship/apprenticeship programs, $17.5 million for education programs, and $750,000 in community outreach.

Residents are also welcome to give feedback online from Dec 14 - Dec 31 at www.stpete.org/gasplant

Additional meetings with the Community Benefits Advisory Council will be held in January.