Tag: St. Pete
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More than a year after the idea first emerged, St. Petersburg leaders have taken their first step toward exploring what it would mean to cut ties with Duke Energy as the city’s electricity provider. On July 31, the City Council’s sustainability committee voted 2-1 to draft a resolution asking Mayor Ken Welch’s administration to seek…
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Weekend flooding in St. Petersburg’s Disston Heights has reignited neighborhood concerns over a new housing development they say is worsening stormwater problems. Several residents told WFLA they warned city leaders last year that the Palm Lake Urban Sanctuary attainable housing project would create runoff issues. “I’ve lived here 30 years, and this place has never…
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St. Petersburg officials have kicked off their annual review of utility rates and fees ahead of the new fiscal year. The process involves evaluating rates for water, wastewater, reclaimed water, stormwater, and sanitation services—fees that help fund both daily operations and long-term infrastructure upgrades across the city. The City Council will hold the first reading…
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A 500-foot-long, nine-foot-tall AquaFence flood barrier has been installed around Lift Station 85 on the St. Petersburg bayfront, part of the city’s efforts to protect critical infrastructure from hurricane-driven storm surge. Located near Albert Whitted Airport, the station plays a vital role in the city’s wastewater system—collecting sewage and pumping it to the Southwest Sewer…
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Residents at two St. Petersburg apartment complexes — The Elements on Third and The Morgan — were shocked to find notices on their doors warning that the city could shut off their water by the end of the month due to unpaid utility bills. “I somewhat screamed,” said a woman who has lived at The…
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St. Petersburg city councilors voted unanimously to end negotiations with the Tampa Bay Rays on a new stadium at the Historic Gas Plant site, signaling a fresh start for one of the city’s most high-profile redevelopment projects. The decision follows the Rays’ announcement that they will no longer pursue the proposed stadium and neighborhood redevelopment…
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Most roads in St. Petersburg remain in satisfactory or good condition, but city officials say they’re falling behind in efforts to keep up with long-term deterioration — a challenge made worse by recent storms. When the city conducted its first pavement condition assessment in 2019, 37 roadway segments were deemed failed. In 2024, that number…
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Major investments and new leadership are advancing long-planned initiatives to transform Williams Park and launch St. Petersburg’s first Downtown Improvement District. A nonprofit organization has secured $800,000 in state funding to upgrade the city’s oldest park, established in 1888. The city previously committed $1.2 million to restore the park’s historic bandshell, designed by architect William…
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Building Official Don Tyre called Florida’s new hurricane-emergency law “a good first step,” citing the October collapse of a tower crane from the Residences at 400 Central into a neighboring downtown office building during Hurricane Milton. The legislation (SB 180) now requires every development using a tower or mobile crane to keep a hurricane preparedness…
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City leaders in St. Pete and Tampa have unveiled their proposed budgets for the upcoming fiscal year—and both are placing a major focus on storm preparedness and storm recovery. In St. Petersburg, Mayor Ken Welch presented a $1.1 billion budget to the city council on Thursday, highlighting $202 million in capital improvement projects aimed at…
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Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg may finalize a deal to sell the team as early as September, according to a report by The Athletic. The sale, valued at approximately $1.7 billion, would transfer ownership to a group led by Jacksonville developer Patrick Zalupski. The prospective buyers reportedly intend to keep the Rays in the…
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Facing more frequent and severe storms, St. Petersburg is pushing forward with $614 million in accelerated stormwater upgrades — but without a fully developed plan to fund them. The city’s current utility revenues are enough to maintain day-to-day operations, but not the scale of upgrades needed. With many residents already feeling the pinch of recent…
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St. Petersburg officials are preparing to formally end their stalled stadium deal with the Tampa Bay Rays and move forward with new redevelopment plans. The original $1.3 billion stadium proposal collapsed when the Rays chose not to proceed, letting a key agreement expire on March 31. Though that automatically voided other elements of the deal,…
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The City of St. Petersburg is strengthening its Southwest Water Reclamation Facility as part of a $13 million thickening expansion project designed to enhance efficiency—and withstand future hurricanes. The move follows last year’s storms, which exposed vulnerabilities in the city’s wastewater infrastructure. During Hurricane Helene, four out of five generators failed at the Northeast facility,…
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Drivers crossing the Howard Frankland Bridge into Tampa will notice a major change starting Wednesday. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is moving northbound traffic onto the former southbound bridge, which was constructed in the 1990s. That span has remained unused since March, when the new southbound bridge officially opened. Crews have since been preparing…
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For the first time in over two decades, the City of St. Petersburg is developing a new master plan to revitalize the underutilized Port of St. Pete. Unveiled at a public open house on June 25, three early concept plans outline potential improvements to the aging facility and 4.4 acres of nearby land just south…
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The City of St. Petersburg has launched a new initiative to address aging sewer infrastructure, offering free inspections and replacements of private sewer lateral pipes for eligible homeowners. The program, backed by a $500,000 fund, aims to improve neighborhood infrastructure, protect homes from damage, and reduce city-wide sewage treatment costs. Announced on June 30, 2025,…
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The City of St. Petersburg is reimagining the long-overlooked Port of St. Pete for the first time in more than two decades. At a public open house Wednesday evening, city officials and consultants unveiled three preliminary concepts for redeveloping the underused port and its 4.4 acres of adjacent land south of downtown. While each proposal…
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The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce has launched a new initiative aimed at empowering local tech entrepreneurs and growing the city’s innovation economy. The Tech Founders Committee, a collaborative effort led by local industry leaders, is designed to help startups launch, scale, and succeed in St. Petersburg. The group will focus on four key…
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The Tampa Bay Rays are in exclusive negotiations to sell the franchise to a group led by Jacksonville homebuilder Patrick Zalupski in a deal reportedly valued at $1.7 billion. Multiple sources confirm that Zalupski has signed a letter of intent to buy the team. While not legally binding, the agreement signals serious momentum toward a…
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St. Petersburg residents can expect 8–9% utility rate increases as the city confronts escalating infrastructure costs, compounded by the aftermath of a historic hurricane season. City administrators presented their proposed utility rate adjustments for fiscal year 2026 during Thursday’s Budget, Finance, and Taxation Committee meeting. If approved, the changes would raise typical monthly utility bills…
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The St. Petersburg City Council has unanimously approved a sweeping $159.8 million federal disaster recovery plan to help the city rebuild from the devastating 2024 hurricane season. The vote came June 12 after a thorough discussion and public hearing on the “Sunrise St. Pete” initiative, which aims to address $1.68 billion in unmet storm-related needs.…
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A long-vacant hospital in downtown St. Petersburg is set for a major transformation into affordable housing for low-income seniors, bolstered by a fresh $9 million investment from the city. The former Ed White Hospital will become home to 71 senior apartments, the new headquarters for the St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA), and a community health…
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The St. Petersburg City Council has officially approved a six-year, $159.9 million disaster recovery plan aimed at helping residents rebuild and fortify their homes after recent hurricanes. “This plan does two major things,” said Council Chair Copley Gerdes. “It injects funding directly into single-family and multifamily homes for mitigation, resiliency, and even reimbursement for storm-related…
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The Resilient St. Pete Resident Task Force will complete its final round of neighborhood visits on Saturday, giving residents in three flood-prone areas a chance to voice concerns and suggest solutions directly to engineers and city officials. Shannery Barnes, president of the Old Pasadena Neighborhood Association, described the unusual flooding experienced during Hurricane Helene. “A…
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Residents of St. Petersburg have until June 23 to provide feedback on a draft action plan outlining how the city intends to use $159 million in federal disaster recovery funds following Hurricanes Idalia and Helene. The funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR)…
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On May 20, St. Pete city officials and business leaders convened at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital for the annual State of the Economy meeting. Since last year, St. Petersburg has weathered significant setbacks—including two major hurricanes, Helene and Milton, and the collapse of the Tampa Bay Rays redevelopment deal. In response, the city is…
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A long-neglected, storm-damaged tower in downtown St. Petersburg is finally on track for demolition, paving the way for a new boutique hotel. For many in the area, the change can’t come soon enough. The 11-story structure at 300 Central Avenue, heavily damaged by Hurricane Milton, will be replaced by a 74-key branded hotel developed by…
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A St. Pete Beach hotel owner who opened his doors to hurricane victims says a federal relief program meant to support recovery has left him footing a massive bill. Robert Czyszczon, owner of the Plaza Beach Hotel, began housing displaced residents through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program after hurricanes struck Pinellas County. For 180…
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Members of the Resilient St. Pete Resident Task Force will visit several South St. Petersburg neighborhoods this Saturday to hear directly from residents about chronic flooding issues. “The residents are the real experts — they live there, they know what’s happening,” said Claude Tankersley, the city’s Public Works Administrator. “We’re pairing them with engineers who…
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St. Petersburg officials say back-to-back hurricanes have better prepared the city for the 2025 storm season, which begins in less than three weeks. Speaking from the Northeast Water Reclamation Facility on Tuesday, Mayor Ken Welch emphasized infrastructure upgrades and increased storm readiness. The city shut down the low-lying plant during Hurricanes Helene and Milton but…
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The City of St. Petersburg is fast-tracking major flood infrastructure projects to better withstand future storms and keep vital sewer systems running, ahead of this year’s hurricane season, Mayor Ken Welch announced Tuesday. “Many of these upgrades were originally slated for completion within the next 3 to 5 years,” Welch said. “Now, we’re accelerating timelines,…
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Could a long-term fix finally be on the horizon for the persistent flooding in St. Petersburg’s Shore Acres neighborhood? Residents are hopeful. With the city’s support, they’ve joined forces with experts to find real solutions through the St. Pete Resident Task Force Pilot Program — an initiative that could lead to major changes. As part…
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The City of St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council are partnering with local neighborhoods for a “resiliency bus tour” next Saturday, spotlighting flood-prone areas and exploring long-term solutions. At the heart of this effort is the newly formed Resilient St. Pete Resident Task Force, created to address persistent flooding challenges. Shore Acres…
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Get ready, St. Pete—your new favorite spot for sun, sport, and sand is about to open. SkyBeach Resort (6800 Sunshine Skyway Lane South) has announced the debut of SouthSide Sports, a high-end athletic club nestled right on its scenic beachfront property. Designed for singles, couples, and families, the club offers flexible membership options. The first…
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Homeowners in St. Petersburg trying to rebuild after Hurricane Helene are now grappling with a new crisis: foreclosure threats from a mortgage company that recently acquired their loan. Woody Faircloth and his family, who live in the Riviera Bay neighborhood, say their mortgage was sold while they were still recovering from storm damage. Despite following…
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The Cross Bay Ferry will operate its final route on Wednesday, officially ending service between Tampa and St. Petersburg. Hillsborough County Commissioners terminated the ferry’s four-year contract after discovering the operator was using a slower vessel than initially agreed upon. For more than three years, the ferry provided a popular transportation link across the Bay,…
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The City of St. Petersburg is considering tearing down Al Lang Stadium—the iconic downtown home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies—to make way for a new amphitheater and a vibrant, reimagined waterfront park. On Thursday morning, the city’s Economic and Workforce Development Committee reviewed conceptual designs and early plans for what’s being called the Center of…
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The City of St. Petersburg is facing a major setback in its storm preparedness efforts after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the termination of a key funding source. The city had anticipated receiving millions through FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which has historically supported flood mitigation projects and home elevation…
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Next month, St. Petersburg’s new Resident Task Force pilot program will kick off with a bus tour through the flood-prone neighborhoods of Shore Acres and Riviera Bay, as part of a collaborative effort to explore innovative flood mitigation strategies. “The city is finally giving residents a real voice,” said Kevin Batdorf, President of the Shore…
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