ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s a step forward for the redevelopment of Tropicana Field and the Historic Gas Plant District. Thursday night, St. Petersburg City Council members voted 5-3 to schedule the second reading of an ordinance that would approve a development agreement for the site. They also gave the OK for a second reading of an ordinance on rezoning and a public hearing on increasing the Intown Redevelopment Plan’s redevelopment program budget. All are scheduled to take place on July 11.

What You Need To Know

  • St. Petersburg City Council approved a number of measures Thursday that move the Rays/Hines deal for the Trop and Gas Plant District redevelopment forward

  • Members could take a final vote on July 11

  • Dozens of residents spoke both for and against the plan at Thursday's meeting

  • Read previous coverage here

Before the meeting began, groups including Sierra Club Florida and Faith in Florida held a rally outside city hall, asking the council to “pump the brakes” on making a decision on the plan.

“It’s ignoring the will of the people,” said Bishop Manuel Sykes, one of those who spoke at the rally.

Speakers said they weren’t asking council to scrap the Rays/Hines deal, but they do want to see changes made to the plan. Among their concerns were environmental impacts and the project timeline when it comes to features meant for the community, like affordable housing.

“We’re talking about getting a stadium done in a matter of three years, and everybody else’s concerns may be addressed over the next 27 years,” Sykes said.

Inside, dozens addressed council during public comment.

“Fundamentally, this is rotten,” said William Kilgore, an organizer with the St. Petersburg Tenants Union. “This is our money. This is public wealth, and we’re giving it to a private corporation.”

The $1.3 billion project would see St. Petersburg contribute $287 million, while Pinellas County and the Rays would put in $312 million and $770 million, respectively.

Supporters told the council the project is the chance to bring new opportunity to the area with mixed use development.

“That million-and-a-half square feet of office space — if we don’t do this deal, that office space will not come,” said one speaker.

Others said the deal is the best chance to fulfill past promises made to Gas Plant residents, which was razed to make way for the Trop.

“If Rays/Hines is not approved, who is going to ensure that the efforts to fulfill those promises are going to be made?” one speaker asked members.

A sticking point for some council members was that they haven’t received finalized documents on the plan and have been working with drafts.

“It is our duty to do our due diligence, and we can only do that appropriately with final documents and not being rushed through this process,” said council member Lisset Hanewicz. 

Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders noted members had previously decided they needed to have final documents two weeks before making a final decision.

“I’m going to vote for the motion as is, but if we don’t have those documents, we cannot really discuss them on July 11. It’s a given. We voted on that,” said Figgs-Sanders.

Officials said if members didn’t have final documents two weeks before the July 11 meeting, they could push the items back to July 18.