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4 groups submit proposals to redevelop St. Pete's Historic Gas Plant District

The groups include the Sugar Hill Community Partners, which was a top contender in the first round of RFPs, and a group partnering with the Tampa Bay Rays.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Time is up and proposals are in to develop St. Petersburg's Historic Gas Plant District.

By the Friday, Dec. 2 deadline, the city says it has received four proposals. They are from 50 Plus 1 Sports, Hines & Tampa Bay Rays, Restoration Associates and Sugar Hill Community Partners. 

The developers are vying for the chance to take the approximately 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District — once referred to as the Tropicana Field site — into the future.

The city says it's looking for proposals that emphasize: "affordable and workforce housing; office and meeting space; arts and culture; research, innovation, and education; recreation; open space, healthy and sustainable development; and intentional equity."

One developer who submitted is Sugar Hill, which was a top contender during the first round of proposals a year ago. 

Sugar Hill's leading developers and community partners gathered Friday morning near the project site to celebrate its submission and share its vision for the property.

Credit: Sugar Hills Community Partners

"Not too often do you have a project that has the magnitude of the Historic Gas Plant District," Sugar Hill Master Developer Kevin Johnson said. "You're going to have affordable housing, workforce housing, office, venues, parks, and you're going to have an ability to make up for the broken promises that were made in the past."

Sugar Hill has been working with more than a dozen community partners to shape its plans over the past several years. According to Johnson, the RFP process starting afresh earlier this year did not deter the group from participating but rather gave them more time to work on its vision. 

"We believe in our core that this project and our ability to do something special at the Historic Gas Plant District is part of our calling, so no, no hesitation," Johnson said.

Another proposal comes from Hines & Tampa Bay Rays.

Hines is a global real estate investment, development and property manager. The Tampa Bay Rays are, of course, the area's local MLB team which currently plays at Tropicana Field in the center of the property being developed.

The partners say their plans include a 7 million square feet redevelopment plan for "a vibrant, mixed-use district surrounding a state-of-the-art new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays."

“Together with the Rays, we have the opportunity to create a city-defining, diversified and inclusive placemaking village, with their new ballpark at its heart,” said Michael Harrison, senior managing director at Hines. “We have coordinated extensively with the Rays on the vision and master-planned design and infrastructure necessary for the stadium, which is essential to the long-term vitality and economic viability of the entire project. 

"We look forward to bringing our extensive experience and lessons learned from Hines’ similar projects around the globe, as well as our track record of seamless integration with the surrounding community and neighborhoods to St Petersburg."

Credit: Hines and Tampa Bay Rays

50 Plus 1 Sports specializes in project development and financing as well as professional sports mix-use financing and development, according to its website.

50 Plus 1 Sports released a brief statement to 10 Tampa Bay on Friday, saying:

"50 Plus 1 Sports is excited to bring our unique vision to the City of St. Petersburg. We are a 100% minority-owned firm with a commitment to creating jobs for minority-, women-, veteran- and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, programs for community benefits, and affordable and workforce housing— with no City or tax-payer funding."

10 Tampa Bay reached out to Restoration Associates on Friday for comment. We have not yet heard back. 

On Jan. 4, 2023, the public will have a chance to hear from each proposer in a community presentation at the Coliseum. 

A final decision will be announced by Mayor Ken Welch at his first State of the City address slated for the end of January 2023.

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