PINELLAS COUNTY, fla — St. Pete City Leaders are set to discuss the “Gas Plant” Development and the future of the Rays Stadium. The city is one step closer to seeing the project move forward. On Thursday, the Committee of the Whole will meet to discuss the development agreement. This gives the city council a chance to look into the plan before the official vote, which will be later this summer.
The Rays/Hines team submitted a response to the city's request for a proposal with some key changes and improvements. The new development agreement focuses on 23 guiding principles which aim to benefit the community. One of the biggest hold ups we’ve heard from residents is they wanted to see more affordable housing in the plan.
The development agreement now offers 5,400 housing units, of which 1,250 will be considered affordable and workforce housing. This is an increase from the original plan.
Aside from housing and a new ballpark, the revised plan also includes greater assurances for minority businesses and disadvantaged worker participation. It also creates more jobs and invests in business development. This plan lists a larger land purchase price than the first offered.
The City of St. Pete said in a statement, "As we move into discussions with our City Council on the future redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District (HGPD), we want to thank our partners: Pinellas County, the Tampa Bay Rays, and Hines. The Rays/Hines team submitted the most comprehensive and robust response to our Request for Proposals (RFP) and has made significant improvements to their proposal. City staff and Rays/Hines representatives have worked diligently to create an agreement focused on the 23 guiding principles outlined in the RFP. In addition to a state-of-the-art ballpark, the development will include more affordable and workforce housing than originally proposed, greater assurances for Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Disadvantaged Worker participation, significant investments in workforce and business development, a renewed Booker Creek, and a larger land purchase price than first offered. Additionally, the agreement limits the City’s financial risk by capping infrastructure contributions and making Rays/Hines responsible for all cost overruns."
City leaders meet today (May 9) at 9am. They will vote on the plan later this summer. If all goes according to plan, construction will start in 2025 and the stadium will be complete in 2028.
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