Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment

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Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment

Project Overview

Nearly 40 years ago, members of the Historic Gas Plant community were displaced by the ultimately successful pursuit of Major League Baseball and eventual construction of what is now Tropicana Field. While the move brought our city the Tampa Bay Rays, then known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, residents and businesses were forced to relocate with the promise of jobs, opportunity and equitable development, which did not materialize. Through this current RFP process, the City has the opportunity to fulfill those unrealized promises and bring to St. Petersburg new attainable housing, equitable business opportunities, office space, meeting space, open space and overall equitable and impactful economic development that benefits all.

A Message from Mayor Welch

January 30th Partner in Progress Selection

At the 2023 State of the City, Mayor Kenneth T. Welch announced Hines & Tampa Bay Rays as his selection for the master developer of the Historic Gas Plant Redevelopment Project.

Said Mayor Welch, “I saw a need to build a better path forward by prioritizing the community’s need for affordable and workforce housing – both onsite and offsite. And as a child who visited many a restaurant, corner store and worked at my Grandfather’s woodyard, the opportunity for restorative economic opportunities needed to be a clearly stated priority.”

On his choice, “I am naming the partner and a concept for a project that will last over a decade and will span multiple administrations. As the plan moves forward under my administration, we will adhere to our model of inclusive governance—asking for input from all stakeholders, including the community, to ensure that we are meeting the goals of this development. I know our St. Pete community will stay engaged and informed as this project takes shape.”

The project timeline has been updated below.

About the 2022 Request For Proposals Process

After careful consideration, we determined the RFP resulting in a developer recommendation in late 2021 was outdated and did not adequately reflect current economic conditions, new workforce trends or comprehensive city needs.

A new RFP was issued to ensure proposals reflect current needs regarding affordable housing, recreation, hotel and convention space, jobs, community impact and placemaking, among other considerations.

2022 RFP PROPOSAL Submissions

50 Plus 1 Sports

Hines & Tampa Bay Rays

Restoration Associates

Sugar Hill Community Partners

Historic Gas Plant District RFP Documentation

Community Engagement OPPORTUNITIES and recap

Thank you for your interest in the future of the Historic Gas Plant District (HGPD). As one of the most significant redevelopment projects in the country, its impact will be felt for generations to come. We welcome the community’s participation and want to ensure that all voices are heard throughout the selection process.

On January 4, we held a Community Presentation where the community was able to hear from each developer and share their feedback. The full video of that meeting can be found here. Feedback from the meeting and an online form, which was open from Dec. 19, 2022 - Jan. 23, 2023, has been shared with Mayor Welch to inform his decision. An important announcement will be shared at the 2023 State of the City on Jan. 30, 2023.

Click here to see a recap of past community engagement activity for this project:

July 2022:

The City hosted a series of community outreach events to solicit public input on development priorities and concerns.

January 4, 2023:

700+ people gathered in person and online for an opportunity to hear presentations from all four developers. They were able to ask questions and provide their input.
Full video of the meeting here

Community Conversations Report

Project Timeline

An aggressive timeline has been established to ensure the process continues expediently.

The timeline anticipates:

August 2022: RFP is released
Mid-September 2022: Pre-proposal development meeting with prospective developers
November 2022: Community outreach and internal review
Dec 2022: Strengths and weaknesses presented to Mayor Welch
Jan 2023: Mayor Welch selects recommended developer
Summer 2023: Use Agreement Term Sheet for Hines & Tampa Bay Rays
September/October 2023: Development agreement presented to City Council for approval.
End of 2023: Use Agreement executed and Term Sheet for Development complete
Summer 2024: Development Agreement executed

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was the original RFP cancelled?

Much has changed in our city since first contracting with HKS Architects in 2016 to develop a conceptual site master plan. The concept including a new ballpark was completed in March 2017 and the concept without a new ballpark was completed in November 2018. From there, the city spent much of 2019 and early 2020 evaluating sustainable and equitable best practices for the site before opening the RFP in July of 2020. Since then, our city has suffered through the economic effects of a pandemic and is currently in the midst of a nationwide affordable housing crisis. These effects were not fully realized in the original plans. A new set of priorities and considerations should be given to the site with these new challenges and opportunities the city is facing.

Will a new process create delays? If so, how long?

We expect a new RFP process to be relatively quick. Based on previous public input, we understand much of what the community is looking for in a redevelopment plan, including access to high-wage jobs, affordable housing, recreation, economic activity, education, and inclusivity for the community displaced by the original stadium development. We will hold a series of public outreach events to receive input on citizens’ vision and priorities. The original RFP process included a developer recommendation but did not progress further than that. The new process will include developer proposals and additional public input reflective of our current challenges, priorities, and opportunities. We expect the RFP planning, release, and selection process to move quickly.

Will a new process cause costs to rise considering construction prices have risen since the original RFP?

Supply chain challenges and inflation have indeed caused prices to rise, which will be reflected in new proposals. However, those cost increases would have been absorbed into the original RFP proposals, meaning a new process will not have any meaningful impact to the overall cost or city contribution to the project at the time of construction.

What priorities are you looking for in new proposals?

Stadium model: We are soliciting proposals containing a new baseball stadium, in lieu of including proposals that contemplate a site without one. We believe this model will provide certainty as it relates to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Affordable Housing: As our population has increased, and with a new housing demand that is rapidly increasing property values and rents in our city, affordable housing must be a key component of any new development at the Historic Gas Plant District site.
Gas Plant Promise: The site also must effectively recognize, honor, and support the community displaced due to construction of the original stadium, in an impactful and sustainable manner.
Support Community Pillars for Progress: Further, the site should consider equitable access to all residents, visitors and stakeholders while continuing to pursue equitable opportunities for education, youth opportunities, economic activity and recreation. We are also mindful of any city subsidy and will consider that in all proposals.

Will the Rays be considered as a potential developer?

This option is available to the Rays as they chart a path forward for continued Major League Baseball in St. Petersburg. The new RFP process will allow them to bid and/or partner. Any proposal they choose to participate in will be considered through the same lens as other proposals. The overarching goal is to choose a site plan that advances the vision of our community for inclusive progress.

Did you have concerns with the development proposal recommended by former Mayor Rick Kriseman? If so, what were they?

The decision to open a new RFP process is not related to former Mayor Kriseman’s recommendation. Mayor Kriseman and his team considered community input and city needs within their criteria. However, the length of time since the RFP issuance, and our current environment and circumstances, warrant a fresh look. We recognize the prior administration’s diligence and look forward to building on their foundational work.

Can you legally cancel the existing RFP and start anew?

Yes. The RFP contains language that allows the city to cancel for any reason and start anew.

Do we expect legal challenges?

Because it is clear the RFP can be canceled, there would be no basis for legal challenges.

What does the new RFP include?

That will be determined during the 4-5 week RFP development process. We know we will be soliciting proposals with a baseball stadium to provide certainty on the stadium question. We will also host a series of public outreach sessions and solicit public comment on our website seeking input on community priorities.

What is the new timeline for developer selection?

A selection will be made in early 2023.

Do we expect Sugar Hill and Midtown to reapply?

Yes, and we encourage them to continue to engage in the process.

Previous RFP History

Learn More

Tropicana Field Conceptual Master Plan

The City of St. Petersburg and HKS Architects developed two conceptual master plans for the redevelopment of the 86-acre Tropicana Field Site, one including a baseball stadium and one without, referred to as Scenario One and Scenario Two. The importance of this site to the future of St. Pete can't be over-emphasized. It is a once-in-a-generation chance to create new opportunities for growth, economic development, and an enhanced community!

Tropicana Plan Scenario 1 (with stadium): Conceptual Master Plan - Scenario 1
Tropicana Plan Scenario 2 (without stadium): Conceptual Master Plan - Scenario 2

Development Partner Selection

Midtown Development best represented the criteria contained within the RFP, which represented years of community feedback, ideas, and input. The firm has a proven track record of executing large, mixed-use developments and will have an opportunity to showcase their vision for the site in the months ahead.

To see the full list of responses submitted prior to shortlisting, visit the City's Real Estate webpage. Guidance for Tropicana Field Site Redevelopment Concepts: view the Roadmap.

Proposal Review Documents

The Staff Review documents represent the strengths and weaknesses of key City staff members across numerous departments and areas of expertise. Note that these strengths and weaknesses were based on the team’s original written proposals. The Project Comparison provides a direct comparison between Midtown Development and Sugar Hill Community Partners for specific, measurable areas of importance. This document was completed by City staff at the request of the Mayor. The Response Summary documents provide an overview of commitments made by the development team, based on their original written proposals, subsequent community meetings, and conversations with administration.

The proposal evaluation, compiled by HR&A Advisors, evaluates the shortlisted proposals related to their development program, economic impact, fiscal impact, and social impact. informed by the information contained in the written proposals and subsequent community meetings. HR&A was hired by the City as a third-party, objective consultant to review the proposals independently from City staff.

Community Engagement

The City of St. Petersburg, community organization partners, and potential development partners have remained committed to engaging the community from the early days of redevelopment discussions.

While not exhaustive, key community engagement events are summarized below.

Key City of St. Petersburg-Led Engagement

Date	Meeting	Approximate Attendance
July 2016	Public Meeting #1 on Scenario 1 of the Tropicana Field Redevelopment Plan at the Coliseum	300
July 2016	Public Meeting #2 on Scenario 1 of the Tropicana Field Redevelopment Plan at Campbell Park Rec Center	170
July 2016	5 targeted Stakeholder Meetings on Scenario 1 of the Tropicana Field Redevelopment Plan	68
August 2018	Public Meeting on Scenario 2 of the Tropicana Field Redevelopment Plan at USFSP	300
August 2018	5 targeted Stakeholder Meetings on Scenario 2 of the Tropicana Field Redevelopment Plan	36
September 2020	Tropicana Field RFP Pre-Proposal Meeting #1	90
September 2020	Tropicana Field RFP Pre-Proposal Meeting #2	70
April 2021	Trop Shortlisted Community Meeting #1, Virtual	300
April 2021	Trop Shortlisted Community Meeting #2, Coliseum	200
April 2021	Trop Shortlisted Community Meeting #3, Coliseum	180
April - July 2021	Community Center Showrooms + Comment Boxes for (all applicants, then for the two finalists) Proposal Teams: North Library: 861 70th Ave. N. Mirror Lake Library: 280 5th St. N. J.W. Cate Rec Center: 5801 22nd Ave. N. Enoch Davis Rec Center: 1111 18th Ave. S. Thomas Jet Jackson Rec Center: 1000 28th St. S. South Community Library: 2300 Roy Hanna Dr. S. Gladden Park Rec Center: 3901 30th Ave. N. Campbell Park Rec Center: 601 14th St. S.	TBD
April - July 2021	Community Center Proposal Viewing and Comment Boxes for (all applicants, then for the two finalists) Proposal Teams: Sunshine Center (330 5th St. N.) Enoch Davis (1111 18th Ave. S.) Lake Vista Rec Center (1401 62nd Ave S) Main Library (3745 9th Ave. N.) Walter Fuller Rec Center (7891 26th Ave. N.) Willis S Johns Rec Center (6635 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N.)	TBD

Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Program: Voices Heard Voices Matter Engagement

Date	Meeting	Approximate Attendance
May 2021	Virtual Conversation w/ Two Finalist Firms	TBD
May 2021	Enoch Davis Center Open House w/ Two Finalist Firms	TBD
May 2021	Enoch Davis Center Open House w/ Two Finalist Firms	TBD
May 2021	Enoch Davis Center Open House w/ Two Finalist Firms	TBD
May 2021	VHVM Community Support Video	TBD

Other Organization-Led Engagement

Date	Meeting	Approximate Attendance
April 2021	NAACP Town Hall	50
June 2021	World Café Conversation	25
January 2020	Holocaust Museum hosts Community Presentation to include Trop Site History & Launch of Where Have All the Mangoes Gone w/local Author and Speakers	TBD
April - Present (ongoing)	Proposal Finalists Midtown Development Creekside & Sugar Hill Community Partners participated in at various engagement sessions with many civic and community organizations including the Chamber of Commerce, multiple neighborhood associations, multiple faith based organizations, as well as information booths at many local events like Saturday Shoppes, Collard Green Festival and more. The finalists also each produced videos made available on the city website.	-

Public Input Opportunities

Public Comment

Watch a recording of a public meeting. While the live Q&A dates have passed, residents can still submit their feedback in the comment form below.

Request a Speaker

Organizations, associations, and groups can submit a request for a member of the City's Economic Development team to present during a meeting using this online form.

Request a Speaker

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Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment