The public had their chance to weigh in on the future of the Tropicana Field site last night. Residents from across the county gathered at the Coliseum to hear out potential plans for the redevelopment of the former Gas Plant neighborhood’s 86 acres.
Here’s some key takeaways from the four proposals the City of St. Petersburg received.
- Sugar Hill Community Partners : The only developer that submitted a plan in the first round of proposals, Sugar Hill’s new plan includes a stadium that would be used by the Rays and the Rowdies, hotels, a live event venue, 2,616 units of affordable housing, public gallery space, a free daycare facility, a new African American History Museum, a history walk, and ample greenspace.
- 50 Plus 1 Sports : This plan would feature an open-air stadium, focus on minority and female team members in the development, and an education and tech campus.
- Hines & Tampa Bay Rays : The Rays partnered on this plan which includes a state of the art ballpark, more than 5,700 multi-family housing units, 1.4 million sqft of office space, and 30,000 sqft of retail space.
- Restoration Associates : This proposal includes a retractable dome stadium, 1,000 units of affordable housing, an African-American history museum, convention center, and a technology park.
Mayor Ken Welch will make his final selection at the end of the month. The Rays lease on the Trop ends in 2027.