This Thursday, July 28, is your last chance to give your input on the historic Gas Plant District redevelopment site. In-person attendance for the upcoming community conversation is full; however, they are providing a virtual option at the same time. Above is Mayor Ken Welch speaking at the first input session on Tuesday, July 12.
ST. PETERSBURG — Mayor Ken Welch and the City of St. Petersburg are hosting the last in a series of community outreach events to solicit public input on development priorities and concerns virtually this Thursday, July 28, at 5:30 p.m.
More than 100 people attended the second event last week, which led to important feedback on priority areas for the site. The second community conversations session was co-hosted by the Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA).
About 200 residents plus city officials, including Mayor Ken Welch and Deputy Mayor Stephanie Owens, gathered for the first of three Gas Plant District redevelopment community conversations at the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg on Tuesday, July 12.
Members of the public were invited to participate in subject matter expert-led conversations addressing themes about redevelopment priorities, including but not limited to affordable and workforce housing, economic impact, jobs, sustainability, equity, and community impact.
Participants echoed many of the same sentiments from the first community conversation, including providing social housing, emphasizing city ownership of the land, and providing community gathering spaces for multi-use recreation and performing arts.
The second session also included additional themes:
Play/Visit
- Integrate Booker Creek into the design and use it to activate surrounding neighborhoods
- Flexible public space and outdoor open areas for local talent to perform and practice
Work
- Youth and future workforce training, apprenticeships, career path opportunities
- Skill-building pipelines for jobs creation
- Prioritize local hiring
- Variety of business types and sizes
- Transportation and affordable childcare
Live
- Affordable, attainable housing, including a social housing concept, for all ages
- Variety of suggestions related to housing programs, such as a workforce development housing program and an innovator/entrepreneur in residence program
- Prioritize past Gas Plant residents for home ownership
- Provide pathways to ownership
“As we move through these conversations, we are learning valuable lessons from our constituents about their personal priorities in redeveloping this important site. Governance works best when we are informed, and even better when we’re informed by the people we serve,” said Deputy Mayor Stephanie Owens. “We look forward to utilizing the information gathered during these meetings to inform our redevelopment process to guarantee success at the Historic Gas Plant District site.”
The session utilized the same public engagement model from Mayor Welch’s original community conversations, held in late 2021 before his inauguration.
The session began with opening remarks from Mayor Welch, subject matter experts and representatives from the event co-host.
This Thursday, July 28, is your last chance to give your input. In-person attendance for the upcoming community conversation is full; however, they are providing a virtual option at the same time. Click here to RSVP for the virtual session.
The community input will be used to inform the administration’s decisions as it crafts the new Request for Proposals for the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District to be released in August.
If you are unable to attend the last community conversation, you may provide input online here at https://form.jotform.com/210254356325045
