Ken Welch gave up the chance at a Moffitt campus; Cathie Wood could bring it back

In his first year in office, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch axed a project that would have created a Moffitt Cancer Center campus in downtown. At the time, he said the proposal, which would have sold land to the Moffitt Team — including development partner TPA — at a significant discount didn’t include enough affordable housing.

Last year, the City Council approved a plan to instead build two 31-story towers with a total of 824 apartment units, none of which will be designated as affordable housing. Moffitt’s proposals had included 35 affordable housing units, far less than the 120 Welch had sought in a deal.

Now, ARK Ellison Horus has added Moffitt Cancer Center as a strategic partner in its redevelopment proposal for the Historic Gas Plant District. Moffitt’s role in the project, if it’s selected, would be to accelerate artificial intelligence solutions in oncology and life sciences.

The proposal would see top talent from Moffitt move to SP-ARK Labs to create Speros by Moffitt at St. Pete, where they would colocate with other entrepreneurs and startups to encourage cross collaboration between digital health and cancer research innovators.

“Partnering with ARK Ellison Horus gives us access to state-of-the-art space and resources at SP-ARK Labs and extends the vision for Speros to Pinellas in a district primed for innovation,” said Josh Carpenter, President of Speros and Chief Integration Officer for Moffitt Cancer Center.

“Colocation of this type allows ideas to move quickly from research to real-world applications, accelerates the development of AI-driven solutions in oncology, and elevates the role of the multi county Tampa Bay region as a global leader in breakthrough AI technologies. This will help accelerate the translation of Moffitt’s clinical and scientific expertise to more quickly bring new therapies to cancer patients around the world.”

Overall, the ARK Ellison Horus proposal for the Historic Gas Plant District, where Tropicana Field is currently located, would redevelop approximately 96 acres in downtown St. Pete as an innovation hub, as well as a center for culture, housing and other community assets.

“Speros by Moffitt represents the kind of applied innovation the Gas Plant District was designed to support,” ARK Invest CEO, Chief Information Officer and founder Cathie Wood said.

“This partnership brings artificial intelligence out of the abstract and into real-world deployment. By providing space and resources for Moffitt-affiliated AI teams, we are creating an environment where cutting-edge research, technology and talent converge to advance oncology solutions.”

To be clear, the Moffitt proposal Welch scrapped in 2022 was different from what Moffitt is now proposing under its partnership with ARK Ellison Horus. And Welch had what many, though certainly not all, viewed as sound reasoning.

The Moffitt proposal was subject to review under the Community Benefits Advisory Council (CBAC) as part of the city’s then-version of the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) process, which has since changed.

At the time, Welch lamented that the Moffitt proposal began with just 10% affordable housing as part of its total project. Through negotiations, that number rose to 15% and then later to 17.5%, though Welch was still not satisfied, saying at the time the city had a responsibility to “ensure we are strategically and equitably utilizing City assets to respond to community needs.”

When the two towers were approved last May at the same site Moffitt had planned to locate, Welch told the St. Pete Catalyst he had remained in touch with Moffitt leaders, including discussing “other places that made sense in the city.” At that time, he even referenced the Gas Plant.

Now, the ball will be in his court again. Proposals to redevelop the Historic Gas Plant District were due to the city Tuesday morning, and the window for developers to submit is now closed. Nine proposals, including the ARK Ellison Horus pitch Moffitt has joined, are under consideration.

It’s not clear exactly when Welch will make a decision, or even if he will. While Welch has said he will not pause the selection process, City Council member Brandi Gabbard — who is planning to challenge Welch for re-election this year — has introduced a resolution for consideration at the board’s Thursday meeting that would oppose any selection before a site study has been completed.

What is clear is that with Welch now officially filed for re-election — he submitted paperwork Monday — his track record will come under renewed scrutiny.

Welch has already faced criticism from some over his development decisions, including plans to pass on the Moffitt development, another scrapped plan to redevelop the city’s aging Municipal Services Center, and ditching his predecessor’s selection to redevelop the Tropicana Field site to start the process anew, a move his critics argue will likely lead to the city losing the Tampa Bay Rays.

Given his vow not to pump the brakes on the Gas Plant redevelopment following the breakdown of the previous agreement with the Rays and developer Hine, it may be that Welch is looking to spruce up his development decision-related image.

In any case, Thursday’s City Council meeting will serve as an initial test of Welch’s plans regarding the site, and could offer clues into whether there is an appetite for moving forward swiftly.