ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Moffitt Cancer Center is looking to build a 75,000-square-foot facility in Downtown St. Petersburg.
The proposal wants to build the three-story building at 800 1st Avenue. Right now, that address is a city parking lot.
The developers for the project said the city’s land where the facility would go was appraised for $24 million. The developers paid $5 million, meaning $19 million is taxpayer money.
There was a community meeting to talk about the proposed project on Friday evening.
“Taxpayer dollars are being spent on this so it’s important that the city see a benefit,” said Brian Caper, a city employee who works in economic development.
People in the community asked developers to use local companies to construct the center, and developers are looking to make that possible.
Moffitt Cancer Center officials said there will be a parking lot with 300 spaces for the community to use.
The center will focus on treating patients with cancer, but surgeries would not take place here.
A part of the proposal includes workforce housing. However, people living in St. Pete had an issue with this because it won’t allow people who are 50 percent and below the area median income to live there.
Developers said those making 80 percent of the area median income and above can live in those apartments. For context, 80 percent AMI for a two-person household is $46,000.
Officials with Moffitt Cancer Center said this project has been in the works for two years and they would like to complete it in the next two years.
Moffitt employees are happy to hear from the community because this center is something they want the community to benefit from.
“This opportunity in Pinellas is really the realization of our responsibility to serve the Tampa Bay area," said Susan Vadaparampil, a Moffitt employee who works in community outreach.
As of now, this is just a proposal, so there will be more meetings to potentially forward the proposals.