ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch will begin to hold neighborhood talks over the future of the Tropicana Field site.
Welch scrapped the old proposals from former St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman and has decided to launch a new "request for proposal" process that solicits a fresh batch of developer plans.
Economic fallout from COVID-19 and the affordable housing crisis, along with a six-month study reporting deep-rooted structural racism still impacting the everyday lives of Black people in St. Pete, prompted the need for a new RFP process.
Community leaders are hoping that whatever happens, broken promises won't happen again.
They want the future to honor the Gas Plant District, which once had a thriving Black neighborhood but was destroyed to make room for new development, including Tropicana Field in the 1980s. The developments came with empty promises from officials about jobs and help.
"I'm afraid for this community. I've seen this foolishness before. So if I have a fear, it's a fear that the people won't wake up and fight back until it's a done deal," said Bishop Dr. Manuel Sykes of the Bethel Community Baptist Church.
Sykes also said he hopes the development includes a resolution for what researchers found to be possible graves under a Tropicana Field parking lot.
"If it's not oriented toward justice and people, it's wrong in my mind," he said.
Welch, who grew up in the Gas Plant District, said he hopes to see the promises from people in the community fulfilled under his term.
"We now have the opportunity to bring the promises of jobs and equitable development to fruition on what I believe, and I think many people believe, to be sacred land," he said during the announcement of a new RFP process.
Sykes said he hopes to see more diversity of income and race, along with housing and business opportunities.
"I want a very strong presence of African American people living, owning and doing business," he said.
A group of Black faith leaders, including Sykes, previously endorsed a proposal from Sugar Hill Community Partners. Developers there still said they're interested in partnering with the city.
The first of Welch's "community conversations" begins Tuesday, July 12.
City leaders said meetings will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on the following dates:
- Tuesday, July 12 at the Foundation for a Healthy St. Pete, located in the Lakeview Shopping Center at 2333 34th St. South
- Tuesday, July 19 at the St. Petersburg College-Gibbs campus at 6605 5th Ave. North
- Thursday, July 28 at USF St. Pete at 140 7th Ave. South
Anyone interested in attending the meetings is asked to register, and you can do so by clicking here.
The Tampa Bay Rays stated it is not commenting on redevelopment plans at this time.