In the late 1980s, an African-American neighborhood in St. Petersburg, Fla., known as the Historic Gas Plant District, was the victim of displacement by the city to make way for the construction of the Tropicana Field stadium.
Fast forward to September 19 of this year, when the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball team announced that it had reached an agreement with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County on a $6.5 billion, 86-acre mixed-use development that will include a new 30,000-seat ballpark and an array of office, housing, hotel, retail, and restaurant space totaling 8 million sf. (The stadium will be between 850,000 and 950,000 sf.)
The first phase of this project’s 20-year buildout is scheduled to begin construction late next year and be completed by opening day of the 2028 baseball season.
The developer Hines, through its Historic Gas Plant Partnership, is the master developer on this project, which will occur on land currently occupied by Tropicana Field. Hines’ involvement includes a $50 million commitment to equity initiatives with South St. Petersburg that encompass affordable housing, employment and business support, education programs, and minority/women owned business enterprise hiring.
Part of Entertainment District trend
This project can be placed within a larger development trend for entertainment districts that are proliferating around the country. Among the metros where entertainment districts have been proposed, or are currently under construction, are Miami, Gainesville, and Pompano Beach, Fla.; Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo.; Anaheim, Calif.; Norman, Okla.; Clarksville, Tenn., and Springdale, Ark. In many cases, as in St. Petersburg, these districts are positioned as vital pieces of larger urban revitalization and economic growth campaigns.
The St. Petersburg project, when it’s completed, will increase the number affordable housing units built by the Partnership to 1,200, with at least half of those units to be built within the redeveloped district.
The project will include 4,800 market-rate housing units, 600 senior-living units, 1.4 million sf of office and medical space, 750,000 sf of retail, 750 hotel rooms, 100,000 sf of performance/event space that include a 3,000- to 4,000-seat concert hall; 100,000 sf of conference and meeting space, 50,000 sf of cultural and community space that encompasses the Carter G. Woodson African American Museum of Florida; 14 acres of public open space, and 14,000 parking spaces.
The Rays will pay more than half of the $1.3 billion cost to build the new ballpark, and the city and county will contribute an aggregate $600 million.
“Hines … is honored to bring this transformative, city-defining project to life,” said Michael Harrison, Senior Managing Director with Hines, in a prepared statement. “Our goal is to create St. Petersburg’s next great place to live, work, and play.”
The public approval process by the city and county is expected to start this fall.
Tampa Bay Rays, Hines finalize stadium-anchored multiuse district in St. Petersburg, Fla.
![Tampa Bay Rays, Hines finalize stadium-anchored multiuse district in St. Petersburg, Fla.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Hines_Tropicana_View01_112922.jpg)
![Tampa Bay Rays, Hines finalize stadium-anchored multiuse district in St. Petersburg, Fla.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Hines_Tropicana_View02_112922.jpg)
![Tampa Bay Rays, Hines finalize stadium-anchored multiuse district in St. Petersburg, Fla.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Hines_Tropicana_View04_112922.jpg)
![Tampa Bay Rays, Hines finalize stadium-anchored multiuse district in St. Petersburg, Fla.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Hines_Tropicana_View05_112922.jpg)
Related Stories
Smart Buildings | May 28, 2015
4 ways cold-climate cities can make the most of their waterfronts
Though cold-climate cities pose a unique challenge for waterfront development, with effective planning waterfront cities with freezing winter months can still take advantage of the spaces year-round.
Sponsored | Coatings | May 14, 2015
Prismatic coatings accent the new Altara Center
This multi-use campus will contain a university, sports facilities, medical center, and world-class shopping
Mixed-Use | May 10, 2015
Construction on Orlando’s massive ‘innovation hub’ is finally starting
The $1 billion Creative Village development will create a business and education hub.
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Two new designs submitted for New York City Riverside Center
Both designs reference the cantilevers and other elements featured in architect Christian de Portzamparc’s original masterplan for the complex, which has now been scrapped.
Building Owners | May 6, 2015
Hackathons and RFCs: Why one developer killed the RFP
In lieu of an RFP process, Skanska Commercial Development hosted a three-week "hackathon" to find an architect for its 2&U tower in Seattle.
Mixed-Use | May 5, 2015
Miami ‘innovation district’ will have 6.5 million sf of dense, walkable space
Designing a neighborhood from the ground-up, developers aim to create a dense, walkable district that fulfills what is lacking from Miami’s current auto-dependent layout.
Hotel Facilities | Apr 30, 2015
Atlanta Braves partner with Omni Hotels & Resorts to build hotel near new Suntrust Park
The Omni Atlanta Northwest Hotel will feature 16 floors with 260 guest rooms and suites, rooftop hospitality suites, 12,500 sf of meeting space, a signature restaurant, and an elevated pool deck and bar overlooking the plaza and ballpark.
Hotel Facilities | Apr 29, 2015
OMA unveils design for the Netherlands' largest hotel
Once completed, and if approved, the structure will add three stacked cubes to the Amsterdam skyline.
High-rise Construction | Apr 23, 2015
Size matters in NYC, where several projects vie for the city’s tallest building honor
The latest renderings of 217 West 57th Street show a tower that would rise higher than the World Trade Center’s pinnacle, when elevations are included.
High-rise Construction | Apr 22, 2015
Architects propose sustainable ‘vertical city’ in the Sahara
Designers aim to make the 1,476-foot tower sustainable, relying on rainwater collection, solar power, and geothermal energy.