South St. Petersburg CRA
Overview of South St. Petersburg CRA
The South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area was established to remedy blighting conditions within the South St. Petersburg CRA, pursuant to the authority provided by the Florida Community Redevelopment Act of 1969. The 7.4 square-mile CRA is the largest in St. Petersburg and one of the largest in Florida. The CRA is comprised of Greater Childs Park, more than twenty neighborhood and business associations, and two Florida Main Street Districts.
| View CRA Map | Legal Description |
The goal for the South St. Petersburg CRA:
The Redevelopment Plan calls for revitalizing South St. Petersburg by promoting reinvestment in housing and neighborhoods, commercial corridors, business development, education and workforce development and non-profit capacity building. This will be accomplished by utilizing tax increment financing to leverage private investment in the CRA through public-private partnerships. This approach is explicitly encouraged by Florida Statutes which states that
Any county or municipality, to the greatest extent it determines to be feasible in carrying out the provisions of this part, shall afford maximum opportunity, consistent with the sound needs of the county or municipality as a whole,to the rehabilitation or redevelopment of the community redevelopment area by private enterprise.
This approach to revitalization is a significant departure from the traditional focus on public improvements that characterize prior City plans to revitalize Downtown, Midtown, Childs Park and other areas. The rationale behind these plans was that public improvements would attract private investment and job creation by enhancing the physical environment and showing the City’s commitment to economic improvement in challenged areas, an approach that has worked well in Downtown but has not borne the same fruit in Midtown and Childs Park.
South St. Petersburg CRA Programs and Incentives
Proposed Youth Farm at Enoch Davis
Calling all leaders in youth development, workforce training and urban agriculture! We are proposing to establish a Youth Farm project at the Enoch Davis Recreation Center, but need your help to make it happen. Youth-Led Farm Info Sheet
Rebates for Residential Rehab Program
Rebates for Residential Rehab Program creates an incentive for private investment in the target area by providing a 20 percent rebate of the cost of specific building improvements to the owner of the residential property.
South St. Petersburg Workforce Development Collaborative
The City of St. Petersburg has entered into a contract with the Pinellas Ex-Offender Re-entry Coalition (PERC) to provide education and job training to prepare residents of the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area for job opportunities with emerging St Petersburg jobs, as well as job placement and mentoring. PERC has also partnered with the following agencies to institute the “South St. Petersburg Workforce Development Council and Collaborative”: Pinellas County Urban League, Mount Zion Human Services, St. Petersburg College, Pinellas Technical College, Pinellas Opportunity Council, The 2020 Plan, and CareerEdge Funders Collaborative.
South St. Petersburg CRA Grant Programs
The City provides the following five matching grant programs that are funded with tax increment financing to encourage commercial, residential and multifamily housing rehabilitation and construction:
Multifamily Housing Development Programs
Affordable Multifamily Housing Development Program provides an annual property tax rebate for up to fifteen years on increases in ad valorem taxes for all applicable Pinellas County taxing authorities for developers of new and substantially renovated affordable multifamily housing in the CRA. The maximum award is $50,000 per project per year. Application
Multifamily Residential Property Improvement Grant reimburses approved applicants for eligible exterior and interior improvements on affordable or market-rate multifamily residential housing in the CRA. An applicant may receive a reimbursable grant equaling the lesser of 20 percent of the pre-construction value of eligible improvements or up to $10,000 per unit. The maximum award for a multifamily project is $90,000. Application
Commercial Development Programs
Commercial Site Improvement Grant program provides a reimbursable grant to commercial property owners that upgrade their building façades, landscaping, lighting, loading and service areas and other features of their sites visible from the public right-of-way. An applicant may receive a one-for-one matching grant of up to $20,000. Applicants with properties listed on the Local Register of Historic Places may be eligible for a matching grant of up to $40,000. Application
Commercial Building Interior and Tenant Improvement Grant provides matching grants from the City’s TIF contribution to commercial property owners for interior upgrades with a focus on projects that remedy degraded building systems and extend the economic viability of the building. An applicant may receive a one-for-one matching grant of up to $20,000. Applicants with properties listed on the Local Register of Historic Places may be eligible for a matching grant of up to $40,000. Application
Commercial Revitalization Program provides grant awards to projects that enhance established business districts by redeveloping properties, decreasing vacancy rates, adding to the tax base, creating jobs, leveraging private sector investment, and improving the quality of life for surrounding neighborhoods through the removal of blight and revitalizing vacant or underutilized properties. An applicant may receive up to $50,000. Projects costing $100,000 or less are not eligible for the program. Application
Note: Priority will be given to commercial applications for properties located on the major commercial corridors in the CRA.
Citizen Advisory Committee of the South St. Petersburg CRA
The Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC), created by an interlocal agreement between St. Petersburg City Council and the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, is the City’s first redevelopment advisory committee and is comprised of nine members of whom six are appointed by the Mayor and three appointed by the County Commission. The CAC advises the St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Agency on the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Plan and any amendments thereto as well as other issues and policies pertaining to the CRA.
2018 Members of the South St. Petersburg CRA Citizens Advisory Committee
Regular Meetings of the Citizen Advisory Committee for the South St. Petersburg CRA are open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, the following meetings will be held at City Hall, 175 Fifth Street North, Room 100. All CAC meetings are televised, although not all will be live. Check listings for broadcast times. 2018-2019 Meeting dates:
Tuesday, November 6th, 2018 – 5 p.m. | Agenda & Minutes
St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) Request for Funding for Jordan Park Renovations
- City Administration Recommendation on Request for Funding
- Jordan Park Attachments
- Jordan Park Funding Request
- St. Petersburg Housing Authority Response to CAC Questions on October 2nd
- Attachment 1 - Jordan Park Physical Needs Assessment
- Attachment 2a - Jordan Park Disposition Application
- Attachment 2b - US HUD approval of Disposition Application
- Attachment 3a - Jordan Park YouthBuild Grant Application
- Attachment 3b - SPHA Letter of Support for YouthBuild Grant Application
CAC Recommendations on Programs and Processes for the South St. Petersburg CRA
- City Administration Cover Memo and Recommendation to the CAC
- Attachment 1 – September 11th TIF Program Presentation
- Attachment 2 – Program CRA Program Revisions
- Attachment 3 – Proposed Revisions to Commercial Matching Grant Review Criteria
- Attachment 4 – August 2017 Grant Review Committee Debriefing
Tuesday, December 4, 2018 – 5 p.m.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019 – 5 p.m.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019 – 5 p.m.
Agenda and Meeting documents available one week ahead of the meeting date
South St. Pete CRA Resources
Information related to the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area:
- The Redevelopment Approach for South St. Petersburg (February 2016)
- The South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Plan (adopted by City Council, May 21, 2015)
- Interlocal agreement between St. Petersburg and Pinellas County for the South St. Petersburg CRA (7.2.15)
- Florida Community Redevelopment Act of 1969 (Chapter 163, Part III)
- 2018 Special Dependent District Financial Reporting for South St. Petersburg CRA
Bridge Funding Opportunities for Business
Below is a list of additional private funding resources available to local businesses that compliment and go above and beyond the amount of resources in the CRA funding process for business financing.
- GTE Federal Credit Union
Shamus McConomy, (813) 414-6553 - Tampa Bay Black Business Investment Corporation
Tahisia Scantling, (727) 826-5785 - PNC Bank
Victor Avila, (813) 637-7144
Business Assistance
The City is dedicated to helping businesses succeed by providing such resources as the Greenhouse, and administering incentive and financing programs. These resources are useful to companies of all sizes from sole proprietorship to Fortune 500 headquarters and everything in between.
St. Petersburg Main Street Districts
South St. Petersburg is fortunate to have two of Florida's forty official Main Street Districts. The Main Street program is an important tool for revitalizing commercial corridors, and has had demonstrated success throughout Florida and the United States. These two districts are:
Land Development Regulations
Your ability to use your property is governed by the City’s land development regulations and building codes. The links below will help you understand what you can do with your property and what the requirements are for developing it.
Contact
For further assistance pertaining to the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area, please contact Rick Smith, CRA coordinator, 727-893-7106 or Anthony Chan, Economic Development Specialist
Subscribe to our CRA mailing list or contact us to request more information.
