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More possible graves found under Tropicana Field parking lots after expanded radar search

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Published  April 24, 2025 9:35pm EDT
St. Petersburg
FOX 13 News

Graves found under Tropicana Field’s parking lot

FOX 13’s Genevieve Curtis reports.

The Brief

    • An expanded radar search at a Tropicana Field parking lot found more possible graves and areas of interest.
    • Archaeologists performed radar searches last summer at the old Oaklawn Cemetery site, which was a segregated graveyard that closed in 1926.
    • St. Pete city councilman Corey Givens Jr. is calling for expanded search areas, as there were three cemeteries that all neighbored each other.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - An expanded radar search at a Tropicana Field parking lot found more possible graves and areas of interest.

Archaeologists with Stantec performed the radar searches in July 2024 at the old Oaklawn Cemetery site. The cemetery was a segregated graveyard that closed in 1926.

PREVIOUS: Radar identifies three possible graves under Tropicana Field parking lots

Dig deeper:

According to their results, Stantec found seven possible burials and three additional areas of interest. Adding that to what they found during a search in 2021, it brings the total number to 10 possible graves, 11 areas of interest and nine areas of disturbance.

Those findings were published in a report in November.

Local perspective:

St. Pete City Councilman Corey Givens, Jr., questioned why it was not made public. Givens has a personal connection to the site with his family, believing his great-grandfather may be among those lost graves.

"I think one of the reasons that you bury someone in a cemetery is so that you can have a place to go back and to visit, pay your respects, pay your homage. And for families like myself to not have that, it's heartbreaking," said Givens.

What's next:

Stantec recommended more testing be done in and around the site. Givens is also calling for expanded search areas, as there were three cemeteries that all neighbored each other.

He said he wants to seek historic designation for the site he considers hallow ground, and there are questions about how that factors into development around Tropicana Field. 

"I'm all for redeveloping the Historic Gas Plant District, the 66 plus acres around Tropicana Field. But what I don't want to do is disrupt the peace of those folks who are buried underneath lots one and two of Tropicana Field," he said.

Givens put it on the agenda to discuss with council next week. FOX 13 reached out to the city and St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch's office and have not received a response.

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The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis. 

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