“The historic Gas Plant district stands as a testament to decisions made without foresight,” said Deveron Gibbons.
BY DEVERON GIBBONS | Contributor
ST. PETERSBURG – The City of St. Pete, a place so many of us love dearly, is teetering on the knife-edge of momentous decisions. At the heart of the debate is Mayor Ken Welch’s plan to use $600 million of our money to help build a new baseball stadium that the city council overwhelmingly approved. This begs the question: Are we being steered toward grandeur when what our people really need are grassroots improvements?
Take a walk through Midtown. Many streets are lined with ornamental shrubs and gently swaying palm trees that create a picturesque setting. But aesthetics aside, there’s an underlying emptiness. The community is starved of a robust economic infrastructure, one that promises good, long-term jobs and truly affordable housing.
While we hear of incentives for the new stadium and uncertain promises regarding housing, I find myself asking: Where are our priorities? Why is there an emphasis on such a massive expenditure when our citizens continue to struggle with the dire lack of housing they can legitimately afford? In the end, true affordability comes not just from pretty amenities but from stable jobs that empower working-class families.
Once thriving, the Gas Plant district was erased and replaced by a stadium that few attend. At the time, it was a community in need; today, that same need for real community-oriented development persists.
The historic Gas Plant district stands as a testament to decisions made without foresight. Once thriving, it was erased and replaced by a stadium that few attend. At the time, it was a community in need; today, that same need for real community-oriented development persists.
Should we again sacrifice its long-term well-being for the short-term shine of a sparkly new stadium? To a community long suffering from neglect, this feels too much like wash, rinse, repeat. The mayor’s proposed investment raises far too many questions:
Why are we subsidizing professional sports teams when so many residents need good jobs – the kind, for example, that would have been come when the Moffitt Cancer Center was looking to open a St. Petersburg facility before the lack of leadership from city officials tanked the deal?
Why are we funding the Woodsen Museum, which is more an event venue than anything else, when the community doesn’t have a grocery store? Don’t get me wrong – I don’t dislike museums and event centers. But right now, we must refocus our priorities.
We need to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself under the guise of “redevelopment” that channels taxpayer dollars to benefit a select few. It feels like another chapter is being written in our pay-to-play mayor’s book.
I love the Rays. So do many in our community. But the reality is that we’ll never be able to recreate the type of economic opportunity that comes from having a professional sports team – nor should we try. Rather than swinging for the fences, we need a plan that gives us consistent singles and doubles on the job creation front.
The mayor’s so-called “redevelopment” seems like a mirage. The historic Gas Plant district, which has been underserved for so long, doesn’t need extravagant venues; it requires amenities like grocery stores and job opportunities. A city’s beauty is found not only in its appearance but also in a thriving, employed populace. The essence of affordable housing is not just four walls but the assurance of a job.
For a thriving, prosperous St. Petersburg, our focus should be clear: jobs, jobs, and more jobs. Only then can we provide our citizens with the foundation they deserve; only then can we genuinely call our city a beacon of progress and prosperity.
Or will we once again disregard the needs of our residents?
Deveron Gibbons is a developer, community activist and former mayoral candidate.
