Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment Letter

May 29, 2026

RE: Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment

TO: The Mayor, City Council, and Development Partners of the Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment:

On behalf of Connect Pinellas and the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area (LWVSPA), we write to you with both enthusiasm and urgency regarding the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Petersburg. This once-in-a-generation opportunity carries with it the profound responsibility to shape a model neighborhood - one that works equitably and sustainably for every resident, visitor, and community member for decades to come. Connect Pinellas is a Florida not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting transit and people-focused initiatives across Pinellas County. The LWVSPA is a nonpartisan organization that encourages participation in government, works to increase understanding of public policy issues, and influences policy through education and advocacy.

No matter which proposal is selected, we urge city leaders and development partners to embrace a vision that places people - not cars - at the center of this development. The choices made today will determine whether this district becomes a genuine community asset or a missed opportunity. Connect Pinellas and LWVSPA stand ready to advocate alongside the community for the following priorities:

1. A Sustainably Funded Multimodal Transit Hub

The Historic Gas Plant District must include a fully integrated, world-class transit hub. With tens of thousands of visitors expected on event days and thousands of future residents and workers on ordinary ones, robust public transportation infrastructure is not optional - it is essential. A dedicated transit hub should:

  • Serve as a central terminus and transfer point for Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) bus routes and potential light rail options, with expanded frequency to serve the district before, during, and after events.

  • Provide safe, sheltered, and accessible waiting areas with real-time transit information and wayfinding.

  • Be designed in coordination with the SunRunner BRT corridor to maximize connections to St. Pete Beach, downtown, and future transit expansion (i.e., express commuter service to Tampa).

  • Include dedicated infrastructure for rideshare, bike share, and micromobility drop-off and  parking to reduce single-occupancy vehicle demand.

  • Feature adequate dedicated secure park-and-ride capacity and infrastructure, including locked and covered bike storage to facilitate a transformative Tampa Bay transit hub.

  • Set up a Transit Oriented Development agreement with developers for any development within a quarter mile of the new transit hub. The city would grant Transit Oriented Development density bonus incentives to the developers in exchange for the developers’ equity contribution. The funds generated by the equity contribution would then be specially allocated to assist the city to build the transit hub. This should be accomplished using a per square foot formula (similar to the private-public development partnership of Potomac Yard Station in Alexandria, Virginia).

  • Develop an outreach program in public and private partnership with developers to best utilize the SunRunner TOD Zoning Overlay that:

    • Places the highest-density residential and commercial development within a quarter-mile walkshed of SunRunner stops, following established TOD best practices.

    • Designs street networks and building orientations that prioritize pedestrian access to SunRunner stations over vehicle throughput.

    • Ensures first- and last-mile connectivity to SunRunner stops through high-quality bike lanes, protected crossings, and sheltered pedestrian paths.

    • Considers development impact fees and assessments to incentivize variances for higher than typical density allowances that directly fund TOD related infrastructure and maintenance, including transit fleets, improving transit reliability, expanding regional transit, and upgrading pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, similar to San Francisco’s Transportation Sustainability Fee. 

    • Coordinates with PSTA to evaluate expanded SunRunner frequency and potential route extensions to serve the district’s future population and visitor demand.

2. A Community that is Safe and Usable by Design

In Florida’s subtropical climate, walkability is inseparable from shade. A district that invites pedestrians must be designed with the heat in mind. Connect Pinellas and LWVSPA call for:

  • Continuous, wide shaded sidewalks and pedestrian pathways throughout the district, including canopy trees, shade structures, and awnings over retail frontages.

  • Pedestrian-priority street crossings with protected signal phases, especially along corridors connecting to the SunRunner stops, Booker Creek greenway, and the Pinellas Trail.

  • Human-scaled streetscaping with seating, water features, and green infrastructure that makes walking comfortable year-round.

  • Elimination of large surface parking lots and wide arterials that create unsafe and uncomfortable walking conditions for residents and visitors.

  • Prioritize projects that create safe pedestrian and cycling infrastructure that connect communities across the divide created by I-175.

3. Ensure Housing Accessibility

The Gas Plant site sits on land with deep historical significance, including the legacy of the communities displaced by urban renewal. Any redevelopment of this site carries a moral obligation to ensure that the resulting neighborhood serves all income levels, not just those who can afford luxury housing. We call for:

  • A meaningful commitment of residential units at levels affordable to households earning 60–80% of Area Median Income (AMI) or below.

  • Anti-displacement protections and community land trust mechanisms to ensure long-term affordability rather than time-limited covenants.

  • Inclusion of workforce housing options that serve teachers, healthcare workers, transit operators, and others who are essential to our community but increasingly priced out of the city.

  • A thoughtful process for developing the public community benefit agreement (CBA) that utilizes and implements meaningful input from residents of nearby neighborhoods, including the Black community historically displaced from this land.

4. Affordable Storefront Space for Local and Small Businesses

Vibrant, authentic neighborhoods are built by local businesses, not national chains. The Gas Plant District must include retail and commercial space that is accessible to small, independent, and minority-owned businesses:

  • Ground-floor retail which is activated along pedestrian corridors to create safety through an  “eyes-on-the-street” active community which also provides an economic opportunity for residents. This includes forward thinking measures such as carrot-and-stick development incentives to ensure long-term retail space vacancy is discouraged.

  • Below-market commercial storefronts reserved for locally-owned and BIPOC-owned businesses, with long-term lease protections to prevent future displacement of these new local small businesses as the district develops and matures in order to create a meaningful plan to address historical displacement of Gas Plant residents. To accomplish this, we ask the city to consider using tools like a Community Land Trust to ensure such provisions succeed.

  • Incubator or market-hall style spaces that lower barriers to entry for small food, retail, and cultural vendors.

6. Integration with the Pinellas Trail

The Pinellas Trail is one of the premier multi-use trails in Florida and a vital active transportation corridor for thousands of daily users. The Gas Plant District redevelopment must treat the trail as a transportation asset, not merely an amenity:

  • Provide a direct, protected, and well-lit connection from the Pinellas Trail into and through the district, with clear wayfinding.

  • Include secure, covered bicycle parking and repair stations at key nodes throughout the district.

  • Design trail connections to the transit hub so that cyclists can seamlessly combine biking with bus or BRT travel.

  • Avoid development footprints or service road configurations that create at-grade trail crossings with high-speed vehicle traffic.

7. Revitalize Booker Creek

Booker Creek presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to weave nature, stormwater resilience, and active transportation into the fabric of the district. Connect Pinellas and LWVSPA strongly advocate for:

  • A continuous multi-use path along the Booker Creek corridor connecting the district to surrounding neighborhoods, the Pinellas Trail, and downtown St. Petersburg.

  • Native plantings, tree canopy, and bioswale infrastructure along the creek corridor to provide shade, manage stormwater, and support biodiversity.

  • Design that treats Booker Creek as a neighborhood connector and gathering space, not a drainage ditch - a place where all residents can enjoy nature in an urban setting.

  • The daylighting and ecological restoration of Booker Creek as a natural blue-green corridor running through the district, building on and extending existing restoration efforts.

The redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District is an extraordinary opportunity that carries extraordinary responsibility. St. Petersburg deserves a district that is more than an entertainment complex - it should be a model of equitable, sustainable, and connected urban development that other Florida cities look to for inspiration.

Connect Pinellas and LWVSPA call on city leaders, the development team, and the broader community to hold firm on these principles throughout the planning and construction process. We are committed to engaging our community in education about transit access, advocating for pedestrian and bicycle safety, and ensuring that residents of all backgrounds have a seat at the table as this neighborhood takes shape.

We stand ready to partner, collaborate, and advocate. The community is watching, and the community deserves the best.