Gas Plant District redevelopment proposal reviews in St. Petersburg converge on 3 leading developers

St. Petersburg city reviewers have scored and made short-list recommendations redeveloping the Historic Gas Plant District, coalescing around three primary contenders: ARK-Ellison-Horus, The Burg Bid led by Blake Investment Partners, and Foundation Vision Partners.

Mayor Ken Welch’s administration has emphasized redevelopment of the district in a way that fulfills promises made to displaced residents, especially since the Tampa Bay Rays walked away from a deal once struck to redevelop the district around a new ballpark for the team. The historically black neighborhood was once displaced to make way for construction of Tropicana Field.

With the Rays now in talks over a potential new ballpark in Tampa, St. Petersburg is now working to move forward on redevelopment of the Gas Plant district without the team as part of long-term plans beyond current lease agreements.

While reviewers were largely aligned on which proposals should be considered for a short list, the rest were not recommended for lacking sufficient detail, development experience or a clear path to delivery. 

ARK-Ellison-Horus drew strong marks for presenting a roughly $6.8 billion redevelopment plan featuring more than 3,700 housing units that includes affordable housing, a large-scale innovation and research hub, and an estimated 14,000 permanent jobs.

Reviewers described the proposal as thorough and closely aligned with the city’s redevelopment goals, while also flagging questions about infrastructure funding, the project timeline, and a long-term buildout that could take decades.

The Burg Bid also earned similar support, with evaluators highlighting the development team’s track record and a plan anchored by approximately $8 billion in investment and 3,600 affordable and workforce housing units — although some critiqued that housing is mostly reserved for Phase 2 of the proposal.

Reviewers also noted that the project is proposed as three five-year phases, “so the timeline is more compressed than some of the other proposals.” Criticism highlighted a need for more information about the proposal’s economic development and job creation impact.

Foundation Vision Partners emerged as another recommended short list third option, although evaluators acknowledge that the proposal lacks the specificity of a traditional master development plan. Instead, the team proposes a phased, city-led model in which St. Petersburg would build core infrastructure and sell parcels over time to multiple developers.

That approach offers greater long-term control and flexibility — but also carries uncertainty tied to market conditions and an open-ended vision.

Reviewers noted that the plan is difficult to define but noted that the city would maintain control of the property’s destiny as part of the proposal. Still, they questioned whether promises of affordable housing could fall short over time, and how the city would be able to take on an estimated $239 million in infrastructure needs without a master plan in place.

Evaluators also recommended a smaller proposal by the Pinellas County Housing Authority for the city’s short list.

The authority proposed approximately 80 affordable senior housing units on a single parcel within the district, positioning the effort as a potential early-phase project that could move forward independently of a larger redevelopment agreement. However at least one reviewer questioned whether the parcel would be better utilized as part of a broader master plan first, rather than carved out early.

All other proposals were consistently not recommended for the short list across evaluation forms, with reviewers citing the absence of financing plans, implementation strategies and demonstrated development experience.

While evaluators agreed on the top contenders, the three leading proposals take fundamentally different approaches to redevelopment. ARK-Ellison-Horus and The Burg Bid both offer comprehensive, master-planned visions with defined outcomes, while Foundation Vision Partners would place greater control in the city’s hands, allowing the project to evolve over time.