ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The long-awaited transformation of the Historic Gas Plant District is moving into its next gear. St. Petersburg officials released a tentative 2026 timeline on Tuesday, mapping out exactly how and when the city will choose a developer to reshape one of the most significant pieces of real estate in Florida.
Right now, city staff evaluators have finished their initial deep dive into the submitted proposals.
These early analyses are already live on the city’s website, giving the public a first look at the technical strengths and weaknesses of the competing bids. However, the real heavy lifting begins in April.
Next month, the city will kick off a study with the Urban Land Institute to aggregate years of community feedback and research. More importantly for residents, the city is planning a massive public meeting at the Coliseum.
This event will allow locals to stand face-to-face with the shortlisted developers, ask direct questions, and see the visions for the site up close. This meeting triggers a 30-day window where the city will actively collect resident feedback before any final decisions are made.
By May, the focus shifts to the technical and social impact of the project. City directors will finalize their formal reviews, and the application portal will open for the Community Benefits Advisory Council (CBAC) Project Committee. This non-partisan board is tasked with making sure the redevelopment actually delivers on its promises to the community.
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The biggest milestone on the calendar lands in June. That is when Mayor Ken Welch is expected to officially select the winning proposal. His decision will follow a comprehensive review of the bids and the feedback gathered during the spring town halls.
“Mayor Welch will select a proposal following a comprehensive review of the proposals and multiple public input sessions,” the city confirmed in the announcement.
Once a winner is picked, the project isn’t a done deal. In July, the CBAC will hold two high-stakes meetings—one for public comment and one for internal member discussion—to vet the project. If the proposal clears those hurdles, the Mayor and city staff will head to the negotiating table to hammer out a formal contract and term sheet for City Council approval.
While the steps following July remain to be seen, the city has promised that more community engagement opportunities will be added to the calendar as the process evolves. For now, the path to a new Gas Plant District is officially on the map.
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