St. Pete reviewing Tropicana Field redevelopment feedback from community meetings

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The last in-person meeting for the community to give feedback on the future of Tropicana Field wrapped up last week.

In June, St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch scrapped plans from two developers and went back to the drawing board over the future of the 86-acre site. The mayor held three in-person meetings to get input from the community.

The city said it has had more than a thousand people give their opinions on the future of the land. Some of the main themes include making sure there's a lot of affordable and workforce housing and incorporating Booker Creek into the design. The creek runs roughly three miles through South St. Pete to the edge of the University of South Florida's campus in downtown.

The mayor also heard from residents who lived in the Gas Plant District who were forced out when the Trop was built. They want priority when it comes to future housing at the site.

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"It's our community's responsibility to fulfill longstanding promises and honor the Gas Plant community," Mayor Welch previously said. "This is a vital project for the future of St. Pete and we have to get this right."

When FOX 13 reached out to the city about if they knew how many Gas Plant residents still remained in St. Pete or how they will verify those residents did live in the neighborhood, a spokesperson said: 

The Mayor’s intent is to include honoring past promises to the Gas Plant District, but we have not yet fully developed a specific strategy on how to address that. Our community outreach process is part of our strategy in developing these priorities.

Mayor Welch said there will be plans – with or without the stadium – depending on whether the Tampa Bay Rays stay or go. Their lease at the Trop is up in 2027.

He hopes to select a developer by the end of the year.