Catalyze 2026: Commissioner Vince Nowicki

We’re asking thought leaders, business people and creatives to talk about the upcoming new year and give us catalyzing ideas for making St. Pete a better place to live. What should our city look like? What are their hopes, their plans, their problem-solving ideas? This is Catalyze 2026.

​Boosting economic development in St. Petersburg was a focal point for Pinellas County Commissioner Vince Nowicki on the campaign trail and throughout his first year in office.

​He believes an expansive convention center in the Historic Gas Plant District, currently home to Tropicana Field, will help achieve that goal.

​Nowicki noted that previous plans for a downtown convention center encompassed roughly 60,000 square feet. “And now you see proposals for the Gas Plant at 300,000 square feet,” he added.

​“I think that’s something that would be a real economic driver for the city,” Nowicki said. “So that’s something that I’m working on, to use TDT (tourism development taxes) to help fund and establish, if those plans move forward.”

​ARK Investment Management, Ellison Development and Horus Construction submitted a $6.8 billion redevelopment proposal in October. Mayor Ken Welch’s administration is currently considering the bid and will formally open a 30-day window for additional offers Jan. 4.

​TDT funding stems from a 6% surcharge on overnight stays in the county. Pinellas officials previously planned to give the Tampa Bay Rays $312.5 million to build a new ballpark in a reimagined Gas Plant.

​The team and its redevelopment partner, Hines, planned to include 90,000 square feet of conference, ballroom and meeting space as part of a vibrant, mixed-use community surrounding a stadium. However, former Rays owner Stuart Sternberg exited the deal in March.

​In April, Nowicki told his colleagues on the commission that he submitted a two-page document to the Tourist Development Council (TDC) “supporting the idea of a feasibility study” for a convention center in St. Petersburg. City administrators floated a since-nixed idea for a boutique facility along the waterfront later that month.

​Pinellas and St. Petersburg officials subsequently agreed to study the feasibility of building a much larger convention center in the Historic Gas Plant District, with or without a new stadium, in June. Welch’s administration notified the city council hours after the Rays announced they were in “exclusive discussions” to sell the team.

​Nowicki said Dec. 23 that “someone has to be selected first, obviously, and then things have to be fleshed out from there.” He also noted that Ark Ellison Horus met with him “several times.”

​“And I know they met with county staff to let them know that they want the county involved in the project,” Nowicki added.

​While he is unsure if commissioners would consider supporting Trop upgrades or a new stadium, Nowicki believes they “could be a partner” in transforming the surrounding area. “But until the Rays come out and say, ‘We’re going to stay here, we want to work with you guys,’ I just don’t want to speculate,” he said.

​Additional plans for 2026 include loosening one of the state’s most restrictive billboard ordinances. Nowicki believes replacing static signage with digital messaging would help beautify Pinellas roadways.

​However, he said the county requires a 60-second minimum on digital billboards. Messaging in St. Petersburg and Hillsborough County can change every 10 to 15 seconds.

​“Billboard companies would love to give the government free advertisements for an emergency,” Nowicki said. “But they can’t afford to do it with 60-second ad times. So, that’s something that I’m working on.”

​He also anticipates changing the county’s restrictive firework ordinance in the new year. “You can’t do any fireworks without a permit, even on New Year’s Eve, Fourth of July, which is contrary to state law,” Nowicki said.

​Reducing the local tax burden is another goal for 2026. Nowicki believes officials can find cost-cutting efficiencies while maintaining robust public safety programs.

​He compared county government to a “giant ship” that lacks a chief executive. “I’m just one of seven people with my hands on the wheel,” Nowicki said, and “any dramatic turn gets everybody locked up.”

​Accomplishing goals takes “small degree shifts one way or the other,” he explained. Nowicki also believes “the best is yet to come” in a new year that will bring lower government costs and increased services.

​“It’s going to be a great year in Pinellas County, and I’m excited for it,” Nowicki concluded. “People are always able to reach out to me. I pride myself on being very accessible.”