‘Center for the Arts’ no longer includes a conference center

Conceptual plans for a previously estimated $161.7 million redevelopment project along St. Petersburg’s downtown waterfront continue evolving as the city receives stakeholder feedback.

Tentatively dubbed the Center for the Arts, the cohesive district will no longer feature a conference center. Al Lang Stadium is in no danger of meeting a wrecking ball.

The initial focus is on building a new parking garage and creating a grass promenade that opens up views of Tampa Bay. In a 5-2 vote Thursday, City council members allocated an additional $109,000 to contextual design firm ASD | Sky for planning and community outreach services.

Those efforts continued later that afternoon at the City Center office tower, which overlooks Al Lang Stadium. The St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership hosted the nascent project’s lead consultant and city officials to share the latest plans and gather stakeholder feedback.

“Before we just throw up another garage, we want to make sure we do things in a thoughtful manner,” said Beth Herendeen, special projects manager. “We’re taking Al Lang out of the equation – we’re not touching that.”

While the district would still feature this new building, it will not feature a conference center.

The first phase encompasses the area around the Mahaffey Theater and Dali Museum. The former institution desperately needs upgrades, according to stakeholders, and the latter is incrementally undergoing a long-discussed expansion.

Officials also plan to reimagine the plaza separating the two facilities. Creating a home for the Florida Orchestra and enhancing the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg track, which utilizes Albert Whitted Airport’s adjacent runways, are project priorities.

ASD | Sky consultant John Curran noted the “nostalgic sentiment” surrounding Al Lang. “Maybe in the future, we might actually look at what it would take to renovate Al Lang and accommodate the needs of that facility, as well,” he said.

Over 65,000 square feet of new downtown conference space was once a focal point. The city subsequently decided to explore the feasibility of building a convention center in the Historic Gas Plant District, now home to Tropicana Field, with or without a new stadium.

“Obviously, we’re not going to do two,” said James Corbett, city development administrator. “If it (a convention center) were to happen, it wouldn’t be here.”

Herendeedeen noted that the state-of-the-art new building could provide much-needed space for other organizations. The Florida Orchestra hopes to accommodate community partners, like the theater company American Stage.

Representatives from those organizations, and dozens of other downtown stakeholders, attended the partnership’s meeting. One highlighted ongoing issues at the Mahaffey and said that the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina is “disintegrating.”

The commercial realtor, who supported other redevelopments, said she would be “really excited about this plan, except we’re already not taking care of what we have.”

Several stakeholders attended the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership’s project discussion Thursday afternoon. Photo by Jason Mathis.

Project costs were a concern at the council meeting. Councilmember Brandi Gabbard noted the city has struggled to fund critical stormwater and infrastructure improvement projects.

The City has, however, recently embarked on several other master planning initiatives. Gabbard and Councilmember Mike Harting voted against the contract extension with ASD | Sky.

Curran, on the city’s behalf, declined to discuss project costs Thursday. In April, the estimated price tag for its first phase was $161.7 million.

The Mahaffey’s 45-year-old garage has reached the end of its service life. Officials spend $3 million annually on maintenance; moving it would activate the area along 1st Street and provide 18,500 square feet of ground-level commercial space.

A new four-story garage would provide at least 1,100 parking spaces. An elevated, covered walkway would connect it to the Mahaffey and Dali.

A stakeholder at the partnership’s meeting questioned the district’s name when plans focused on enhancing the Mahaffey and Dali. Herendeen said “Center for the Arts” is a “working title.”

“So, I wouldn’t get too emotionally involved.”

An attendee suggested incorporating an interactive museum into the commercial space. Herendeen said that was the “type of information we’re looking for.”

The promenade would essentially serve as an extensive linear park that could house outdoor art exhibits or stages. Additional green space and berms around the Grand Prix’s temporary track would house race teams and provide new viewing areas.

Administrators will likely apply for Pinellas County tourism development tax dollars to help fund the project. In April, Curran told council members that the massive undertaking would generate $445 million over the next 13 years.

He said Thursday that the city was not ready to prioritize components and estimate a cost. Herendeen noted officials have never created a cohesive master plan for the area; the current process began in 2020 under former Mayor Rick Kriseman, who attended the meeting.

She and Curran stressed that plans for the district are flexible. “The point is to take the feedback and make changes,” Herendeen said.

“Let’s have a discussion about what else it could be, rather than just making these one-off decisions in a vacuum … and hope at the end that it all works together.”

The project includes expansions to the Mahaffey Theater and the Dali Museum.