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Hines & Tampa Bay Rays Named as Master Developer for a Better Path Forward with Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment 

By Daniel Russell@d_russ  Jan 30, 2023

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch has selected the Tampa Bay Rays led redevelopment bid for the land surrounding Tropicana Field.

As a consequence, the Rays plan for a new stadium in the somewhat isolated city within the greater Tampa Bay area has been selected, clearing the way for the Rays to stay in their current stadium location.

Tropicana Field sits on a previously a flourishing, historically Black neighborhood in St. Petersburg called the Gas Plant District, and Mayor Welch — who is Black and had family who lived in this neighborhood — put restorative justice at the center of the request for proposals and his speech on selecting the Tampa Bay Rays proposal.

You can view the Rays stadium redevelopment proposal here.

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Here are the city’s written remarks regarding the selection of the Hines & Rays proposal:

A BETTER PATH FORWARD

Said Mayor Welch, “I saw a need to build a better path forward by prioritizing the community’s need for affordable and workforce housing – both onsite and offsite. And as a child who visited many a restaurant, corner store and worked at my Grandfather’s woodyard, the opportunity for restorative economic opportunities needed to be a clearly stated priority.”

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