St. Pete’s Historic Gas Plant Redevelopment to outshine Tampa’s Water Street? (St. Petersburg: crime, how much)

[FL_Expert]

Today it was announced the Rays will stay in St. Pete as the Tropicana Field area, known as the Historic Gas Plant District, is redeveloped. The cost of the new stadium is estimated to be $1.3B while the overall Historic Gas Plant redevelopment project is expected to cost around $6.5B.

My understanding is Water Street in Tampa cost roughly $3B. This makes me wonder if the Historic Gas Plant District may eventually outshine Water Street given its a considerably larger investment. I also wonder what it will do for St. Petersburg overall since it’s filling in a major gap in the downtown area. Might it shift the center of downtown further west? Does St. Pete become the overall leader in Central Florida after always coming in 3rd to Tampa and Orlando?

More on the project here: https://cms5.revize.com/revize/stpet...esentation.pdf

I’m not sure what the collective impact will be, but it’s very exciting to think about. What are your thoughts?

[MarcBetrus]

St. Petersburg already outshines Tampa on so many levels, that this won't even matter. It'll just end up outshining it even more...lol

[mrviking]

I'm happy. St. Pete can keep the rays downtown. While Tampa can keep the BOLTS!! downtown. Only place in the country where the hockey team outdraws the local baseball team. I like both downtown's, they just have different flavors.

[FL_Expert]

Originally Posted by MarcBetrus

St. Petersburg already outshines Tampa on so many levels, that this won't even matter. It'll just end up outshining it even more...lol

That’s true, but presently St. Pete doesn’t really have an answer to Water Street. Everything has been a new tower here and there, without one huge project in place like this. An already thriving downtown, plus a huge redevelopment project is very exciting.

[Arcenal813]

Looks exciting.
That area has always been a bit sketchy. I've rode my bike on the trail there, and always just zoom through, as it's one of my least favorite sections.
Hopefully this means they clean it up quite some. And by cleaning, I don't mean like how Orlando has done by masking the bad streets of Parramore with shiny new buildings on one or two streets -- I mean clean up the actual neighborhood. Proper police presence and crime control, less liquor stores and ****ty motels, etc.
COULD be a game changer for St-Pete. Time will tell.

[Wonko the Sane]

The problem with St Pete is it's pretty much built out. Anything new will require demolishing something old, and there are lots and lots of vocal advocates for the status quo.

Tampa has significantly more room, and there are quite a few developments either underway or in the planning stages. Gas Worx, Ybor Harbor, Convention Center Expansion to name a few. Most of the surface parking lots south of Kennedy have projects that will dovetail into the Water Street development. The Straz is expanding, And Water Street is entering Phase 2.

[MortonR]

I don't think a lot of people realize how much empty/undeveloped space there is in downtown Tampa. Go up in one of the taller buildings and have a look around, and you'll be surprised. It's a lot less than it was say, five years ago, but there's still a fair amount of empty or undeveloped lots.

RM

[vaughanwilliams]

We've been down this road before with Bay Plaza except now it will be "Equitable, Inclusive Development" which actually sounds even worse. They aim to "Respect and Honor the Historic Gas Plant Neighborhood". Really? Honor what?-it was literally the worst, most dangerous eyesore of St. Pete at the time. 1500 units of affordable housing, what does that even mean? More subsidized housing on the taxpayers dime? $50 million for "intentional equity initiatives". What kind of left wing double talk is that?

My prediction is this project is going to be Baywalk on steroids-all shiny and new and within a couple of years abandoned because of unfettered crime and empty storefronts. If St. Pete residents think a police presence is lacking in their neighborhoods now, wait until this thing is built. But hey, at least it'll be "Equitable" and "Inclusive".

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by vaughanwilliams

We've been down this road before with Bay Plaza except now it will be "Equitable, Inclusive Development" which actually sounds even worse. They aim to "Respect and Honor the Historic Gas Plant Neighborhood". Really? Honor what?-it was literally the worst, most dangerous eyesore of St. Pete at the time. 1500 units of affordable housing, what does that even mean? More subsidized housing on the taxpayers dime? $50 million for "intentional equity initiatives". What kind of left wing double talk is that?

My prediction is this project is going to be Baywalk on steroids-all shiny and new and within a couple of years abandoned because of unfettered crime and empty storefronts. If St. Pete residents think a police presence is lacking in their neighborhoods now, wait until this thing is built. But hey, at least it'll be "Equitable" and "Inclusive".

Good points, I completely agree.

[Suesbal]

Another gift for the wealthy.
https://reason.com/2023/09/22/taxpay...eball-stadium/

Do most people not mind their tax dollars going to such projects?
Since the proposed stadium will seat about the same number of people that the current one does, there is the suggestion that the Rays owner(s) are trying to attract a wealthier crowd, not a larger one.