A new experiment: St. Pete sells Science Center 

A group of St. Petersburg stakeholders has long envisioned breathing new life into the Science Center. Their dream is rapidly becoming a reality. 

City council members unanimously approved selling the once-beloved educational institution to a local group Thursday. St. Pete for STEAM will purchase the neglected building and 3.9 acres of land for $1.6 million. 

The St. Petersburg Group (SPG) and its project partners, collectively known as St. Pete for STEAM, will break ground on an artificial intelligence-focused learning facility in January. Co-founder Joe Hamilton credited “alignment” for the estimated $25 million redevelopment coming to fruition. 

“I just really felt that the city council, the administration and all the stakeholders around the Science Center were happy,” Hamilton said. “It’s rare when pretty much everybody is aligned behind something, and that was probably the most rewarding feeling I had at the vote.” 

Thousands, if not millions, of Pinellas County students once visited the Science Center, which opened at 7701 22nd Ave. N. in 1966, for field trips, after-school programs and summer camps. Families would often spend the day marveling at its exhibitions, planetarium and the Walk of States mosaic trail. 

The Science Center opened to national fanfare in 1966 at 7701 22nd Ave. N. File photo.

The cash-strapped former jewel of West St. Petersburg closed in 2014. City officials acquired the property and its Space Shuttle-adorned building five years later, given its proximity to a sewage treatment facility. 

Councilmember Gina Driscoll noted that a former colleague, developer Robert Blackmon, was the first to advocate for the Science Center’s rebirth. “He worked very hard to get the right people in place and get some funding going,” she said. 

“It takes a lot for a council member to come up with an idea and do this,” Driscoll added. “And sometimes it outlasts your time on the city council. It gives me hope that some of the things I’m working on now will be finished, even after I’m gone.” 

SPG submitted a proposal to purchase the property for $1.25 million in January 2023. Mayor Ken Welch’s administration agreed to a $1.6 million sale seven months later. 

Recent debate over whether to keep the property and, perhaps one day, use it to enhance the nearby Northwest Water Reclamation Facility’s capacity nearly derailed the long-planned project. Council members unanimously asked Welch to proceed with the sale in late September, and the mayor acquiesced in the following days. 

“Joe (Hamilton), your persistence has paid off, and your vision has been accepted and celebrated,” Driscoll said. “And now we’re going to see it happen. Thanks for all you’ve done.” 

Councilmember Corey Givens Jr., like many residents, said he grew up at the Science Center. He expressed excitement to “revive an iconic institution.” 

“I’m glad that we were able to come to a rational decision on this,” Givens added. “So, job well done.” 

With pledged financial commitments, St. Pete for STEAM has raised roughly $15 million. The group plans to renovate the existing rotunda, restore the historic mosaic trail and build a new, modern facility. 

A reimagined Science Center will bring engaging educational experiences for students, adults, agencies and nonprofits, along with innovation and entrepreneurialism, together under one roof. Hamilton said a focus on flexibility will allow various stakeholders to help shape the facility’s programming. 

“We’ve designed it based on our conversations with the community,” he continued. “I think we’re going to pack every square foot of it with good things that serve a lot of people.” 

Hamilton also noted that SPG’s charitable arm, the St. Petersburg Foundation, operates the county-owned Lealman Exchange community center. He hopes to replicate those “impactful public-private partnerships that can really serve the community.” 

From left: Rep. Berny Jaques; Dan Joyal, co-executive director of Pathfinder Outdoor Education; Joe Hamilton, co-founder of the St. Petersburg Group; City Council Chair Copley Gerdes; Sen Darryl Rouson; and Jenna Byrne, founder of the Water Warrior Alliance, celebrate state Science Center funding. Photo by Amy Cianci.

Blackmon said dreams of reviving the Science Center for a new generation began six years ago. He told the Catalyst that he has met dozens, if not hundreds, of project supporters who realize that “future leaders start with STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)” education. 

“The new Science Center will be a truly world-class facility right in our backyard, where we can nurture homegrown academic talent,” Blackmon said. “I have immense gratitude for the many partners who have helped achieve this milestone.” 

Those partners include Rep. Linda Chaney, Rep. Berny Jacques and former Congressman Charlie Crist, who “fought hard to bring back funding, year after year.” Blackmon said Sen. Darryl Rouson deserves a “special mention.” 

“He was my day one partner, my first phone call and the only reason we are where we are today,” Blackmon said of Rouson. “Make no mistake, without his leadership, this facility would not have a future.”

He added that Rouson, a “tireless champion for those in need,” can now include “science advocate” to his long list of local success stories. Hamilton hopes to complete construction on the Science Center in 2027.

Joe Hamilton is publisher of the St. Pete Catalyst.