St. Pete religious leaders give endorsement between finalists for Tropicana redevelopment

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - African American religious leaders in St. Petersburg have said who they want to redevelop Tropicana Field as Mayor Ken Welch is less than two months from picking a developer out of two finalists.   

They’ve picked Sugar Hill as the developer to repurpose the 86 acres of land either with or without a stadium, depending on what the Tampa Bay Rays decide. 

"Sugar Hill takes a different perspective and says it’s about business, it’s about brick and mortar – but it’s also about man and woman and community and revitalization and being progressive enough to look back and look at some things that may have been done wrong," said Pastor Brian Brown, St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church 

Pastor Brown is talking about the black community in St. Pete that was pushed out when the Tropicana site was built decades ago. Mayor Welch campaigned on bringing the community back together with this project, and in the next month or so, he’ll pick from Sugar Hill or Midtown developers.  

However, in December Rev. Watson Haynes, President of the Pinellas County Urban League endorsed the Midtown project saying it’s just as inclusive. 

"We appreciate and share the community’s passion for this vital generational project," Mayor Welch said Thursday. "My evaluation process continues, and our city staff continues their due diligence. 

Most of the community leaders who pledged their support Thursday were flown by Sugar Hill, to Sacramento last week for a tour of their other projects. The tour was given by former Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA player who is now part of the Sugar Hill team.   

Mayor Welch has said he’ll pick the developer by end of June.