ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Neighbors in St. Petersburg said they believe it's a chance to honor the community displaced when Tropicana Field was built.
Sugar Hill Community Partners is still the top choice of the four developers for Bishop Manuel L. Sykes of Bethel Community Baptist Church in St. Petersburg.
"I think it would be the greatest correction in the history of St. Petersburg," Sykes said.
Sykes, along with other Black faith leaders, publicly endorsed Sugar Hill developers in May. They said it was a chance to fulfill broken promises to the neighbors of the Historic Gas Plant District and would serve all of St. Pete residents.
"The Gas Plant is not an area that was neglected, it was a vital area, a viable area and a vibrant area," Rev. Wayne Thompson said at the time.
Faith leaders said residents were told the new development would bring in business and help the Black community, but that never happened.
Among residents from the area is now St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch.
Over the summer, Welch scrapped the old proposals from former St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman and launched a new "request for proposal" process that solicits a fresh batch of developer plans.
"We now have the opportunity, to bring the promises of jobs and equitable development to fruition on what I believe and many people believe to be sacred land," Welch said during his news conference.
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.
This week, the city of St. Petersburg announced the four developers still in the running to redevelop the Historic Gas Plant District. You can see them below:
To see each development group's proposal, click on its name above.
The requests for proposals include a section "honoring the history and legacy of the Historic Gas Plant District site and fulfilling past promises."
Plus, a specific requirement for affordable and workforce housing, and a new baseball stadium.
Sykes said he and other neighbors have been working with Sugar Hill Community Partners, and believe their intentions are set on people, not profits.
With Welch making history as the first Black mayor and upbringing in the city, he said he's hopeful Welch will make the right choice.
"This is community interest versus individual interests at its core," Sykes said.
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 Welch at his first State of the City address slated for the end of January 2023.
To learn more about the Historic Gas Plant District RFP process, click here.