Thrive
Community leader shifts blame for Gas Plant saga
While many people blame the Tampa Bay Rays for stadium plans in St. Petersburg falling through, Gwendolyn Reese believes local government officials walked away from a once-promising partnership.
Reese, president of the African American Heritage Association, said an unprecedented hurricane season, bureaucratic delays and economic headwinds caused by the new presidential administration necessitated renegotiations. She found Mayor Ken Welch’s staunch refusal baffling and disappointing.
Nearly all stakeholders could agree that the long-negotiated deal was about more than just baseball. A $1.37 billion ballpark would have anchored the Historic Gas Plant District’s rebirth.
The 86-acre Tropicana Field site once provided a refuge for Black residents – like Reese and Welch – during the city’s Jim Crow era. The two, and many others, believed its $6.7 billion transformation, led by the Rays and Hines development team, was a momentous step toward righting past wrongs.
“It was probably one of the best things to happen to our city in a very long time,” Reese said of the project. “To not be willing to even come back to the table to see if there were options – to me, that’s who pulled out.”
Mayor Ken Welch shares a moment with Gwendolyn Reese, president of the African American Heritage Association and a former Gas Plant resident, after the long-awaited project received approval in July 2024. Photo by Mark Parker.
City officials began razing the predominantly Black area in the late 1970s to make way for I-275 and, eventually, a stadium with no team. The city promised jobs and economic revitalization; those promises remain deferred.
Reese, who became a project consultant for the Rays, said people quickly forgot how the team withstood widespread criticism for their social justice advocacy in 2020. She noted the team supported a lynching memorial at the Trop site, and myriad philanthropic efforts typically go unnoticed “because they don’t tout it.”
The Rays atypically began meeting with former Gas Plant residents and their descendants before Welch selected their redevelopment proposal. Reese said the team genuinely wanted to hear their plight; they could “finally have hope.”
What she once called a “light at the end of the tunnel” extinguished March 13. Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said he could no longer move forward under the agreed-upon terms. Welch said bridges had burned.
After her initial anger had – mostly – subsided, Reese wondered why the mayor was unwilling to “sit and talk for a deal you thought was fantastic, you touted. So, I’m disappointed, and I’m baffled.”
“There’s so many things that could have been discussed,” she added. “That opportunity was not available because the mayor was adamant … This deal is done. It’s dead. We weren’t given a reason.”
The Rays met with Reese and her organization the day before Sternberg’s announcement. While the group of former Gas Plant residents and descendants realized the writing was on the wall, there was hope his decision would open the door for talks. They planned to write a letter advocating for reconciliation.
Instead, Reese said that door closed with the mayor’s remarks the following afternoon. “Maybe hope will come. But I don’t think automatically, hope is there.”
“I’m sure that, eventually, some will become hopeful. Some will not. I’m not sure I will.”
Local historian Gwendolyn Reese believed the Historic Gas Plant District’s redevelopment could serve as a model for future projects in St. Petersburg. File photo.
Reese stressed that she was speaking for herself, expressing her feelings. She hopes her thoughts as a respected community leader invoke critical thinking about “what is happening and why it is happening.”
Welch said March 13 that he has “no interest” in working with Sternberg. He believes the city did everything possible to secure the best outcome for the site and the people who once called it home.
Welch noted the city spent an “incredible amount” of financial and human resources to reach previously signed agreements. He reiterated that the Rays would not receive “another dime” of municipal funding.
When asked about previous statements regarding helping the team overcome a funding gap, Welch said, “We had a lot of meetings with the Rays.” However, officials have “seen nothing, not even something written on a napkin to explain their cost overruns.”
Welch also pledged his continued commitment to fulfilling 40-year-old promises of economic revitalization for the city’s Black community. He will consider redeveloping the area incrementally.
Reese said the mayor should have discussed a phased approach with the Rays. She struggles to understand why previous partners could not sit and discuss options to keep such an important project alive.
“I think everyone knew it would have to look different,” Reese continued. “What does that mean? I don’t know. But at least we would have been moving forward. Now we’re starting over.”
What is clear is that some – not all – former Gas Plant residents and their descendants felt included in a long-awaited process. Reese noted city officials, including Council Chair Copley Gerdes, met with the group multiple times.
Reese believes those feelings of inclusivity raised since-shattered hopes, which increased the subsequent disappointment. While she cannot currently “even consider working with another developer or the city,” she likely would in the future if it was “for the greater good.”
“It’s never been about me,” Reese said. “But it will be with a whole lot less trust and faith in government than I had going into it this time.”
Sima Damijan
March 31, 2025at5:09 am
I think people forget what a complete dumpster fire that neighborhood was before The Suncoast Dome was built.
If you liked Crime,Drugs and Prostitution then the Gaslight district was for you.
I grew up not far from there and my mother worked as a seamstress on the corner of 1st Ave South and 22nd Street and they would lock their doors in fear of getting robbed.
What you see now is not because of the black community but rather developers and millionaires.
And of course Mark Ferguson who took a chance and built a small sports bar which is now Ferg’s.
So enough of this fantasy about a thriving neighborhood. It never existed.
Jimmy burke
March 30, 2025at7:34 am
Ladies and gentlemen Eddie is a true Democrat communist knock down the stadium and build a community just for blacks like it used to be That’s what you got to do Right Eddie?
Gentrification is bad who cares if the whole neighborhood home prices go up no white people.
This is what Democratic communists do everything’s race with them.. because they have no ideas and no solutions.
Eddy Brix
March 26, 2025at5:27 am
Let’s be clear: the collapse of the Rays stadium deal is not the tragedy some are making it out to be. The real tragedy is that so many people are more upset about a failed billionaire-backed development than they ever were about the cancellation of minority reading programs, the gentrification that’s pushed Black families out of their own neighborhoods, or the lack of affordable housing that continues to plague our city.
We are not mourning the loss of hope. We are mourning the constant diversion of resources and attention away from the real needs of the community.
What does a $1.37 billion ballpark do for the average Black family in St. Pete? What does another museum that doesn’t pay dividends to the community actually solve? We are told this project would be a “blueprint” for revitalization, yet no one can explain what that means in concrete terms. More jobs that vanish when construction ends? More housing Black residents can’t afford? More ceremonies, photo ops, and ribbon cuttings while our kids can’t even get access to decent books or safe schools?
This kind of “revitalization” is a well-worn tactic: offer symbolic representation in exchange for material inaction. Leaders are brought in to endorse billion-dollar plans, while the same community they’re supposed to represent continues to suffer in silence.
Let’s not forget: this was never about justice—it was about optics.
Mayor Welch drew a line, and for once, someone said no to another billionaire giveaway. That should be respected, not criticized. If the Rays and their partners truly cared about the community, they wouldn’t have walked away the moment public funding dried up. That’s not partnership—that’s exploitation with a friendly face.
We don’t need more symbolic “progress.” We need:
Trade programs and job training that lead to real careers.
Black-owned businesses with community support and financing.
Affordable housing with rent caps and protections from predatory development.
Public spaces that serve us—not just tourists or the wealthy elite.
Restoration of community trust, not by partnering with billionaires, but by investing in us.
So no, we won’t cry over a stadium. We’ll cry over our elders being priced out of their homes. We’ll cry over the death of programs that once gave our children a shot. And then, we’ll get up and build something real.
Because justice doesn’t come with a scoreboard.
It comes with ownership, empowerment, and control of our own future.
Hal Freedman
March 25, 2025at11:30 pm
Ms. Heralty is a bit off on the cost of the art she refers to. Cost was about $3M, not $10M. Half of that was paid for by private funds. The City paid for the superstructure.. $1.5M. Also, what does that have to do with the Rays/Hines fiasco?
VLHeraty
March 25, 2025at10:22 pm
Please, please, please let us be more conscious and aware of who we put in power and why. Let’s make absolutely sure they have the residents best interests at heart before we cast our precious ballots. I’ve lived in St. Pete since 2013. During that time I led a group of concerned residents to “Save Spa Beach Park” from a city purchased overwhelming art and was successful. Art the city paid nearly 10 million for (plus upkeep costs) that now has been abandoned. Art that the residents didn’t want as well as a new pier the residents didn’t want. Votes were taken and ignored by the last two administrations and supported by the same self-serving council people. History like the Spa Beach fiasco and the last hold out for the Rays/Hinds deal prove over and over again how easily manipulated DTSP District 6 can be. It’s time to study what the decision makers do and how they’ve voted in the past. Why not request an oath of ethical responsibility next time we put our city future in eager hands? We as voters NEED to do so much better and not be afraid to ask the tough questions.
Mike
March 24, 2025at7:30 pm
Rose how do you reconcile “no minority interest group” with the existence of this article outlining a voice for a minority interest group? What level of cognitive dissonance is required to say that in the comment section for this article?
Ryan Todd
March 24, 2025at7:04 pm
Ken Welch is politically isolated – even elements of the African American community are now laying blame for the blighted Trop site at due. Let’s move on from Ken Welch NOW. How can we entrust him to negotiate with developers/urban planners and deliver a development of any kind? He lacks the judgement and wisdom required of the office – choosing to issue bonuses to city staff who worked on the Rays proposal is evidence enough of his poor judgement and lack of ethics. We must fire Ken Welch before we issue a new RFP for the Trop Site. Please, if anyone reading this has political aspirations launch a recall of Ken Welch. Our city cannot afford another day under his mayorship.
S. Rose Smith-Hayes
March 24, 2025at6:02 pm
There is No Minority Interest group. This city is Not run by minorities, we do Not have the funds to have a voice. Wealthy business men run this city and always have. The same folk that sank this deal decided to not keep the promises made in the 1970’s when Black folk were forced to move from the Gas Plant area. The plans for the remodel are beautiful. The area by itself would have been a tourist Attraction. I was skeptical until I saw the plans for the area and the new stadium. The stadium would be used year round for many events, graduations, concerts, conventions, and other sports opportunities.. When Black folk are paid consultants, they are ‘sell outs, just unbelievable for Mr. Tampa to say that about Gwen Reese. I hope that this matter can work out for our city and its residents, a lot of money could be made.
JAMES R. GILLESPIE
March 24, 2025at4:00 pm
THE REESE AND OTHER OPNIONS AFFIRM THE CLEAR DIVISION THAT HOUNDS THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. THERE IS A NEED FOR BUSINESS AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT NONETHELESS SO WHO OR WHAT CHARTS A DIFFERENT COURSE?
Benson
March 24, 2025at3:35 pm
How many of us have shaken our heads, reserving just enough doubt to not be surprised when the wheels fell off this deal? As a private organization, the Rays aren’t obligated to offer any explanation, public statement, or apology tour—while every government entity is expected to explain why so much of the deal appeared so imbalanced.
Let’s not forget: the mayor stated that the additional acres were considered a necessary cushion in the event of expected cost overruns—factors that were already calculated before the hurricane ever hit.
This isn’t the Rays’ first bumpy rodeo with an administration, but now they’re left with little—or no—leverage at all.
As for Ms. Reese, I’m not sure what more she expected the city or taxpayers to entertain. Would everyone’s firstborn have sufficed to make it work? She was hired to convince the community to trust and believe in the Rays. And now? We have no stadium, no team, no community benefits, and, perhaps most critically, no more willingness to talk.
The ship has sailed—and it left without all of us.
OriginalJud
March 24, 2025at3:00 pm
Reece is towing the Rays line, seem like a sellout
CHRISTOPHER LERBS
March 24, 2025at2:47 pm
As St. Pete Catalyst pointed out in their article “Meet the Team” on 12/17/22 Ms. Reese is a member of the Rays’s proposal team. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Welch and historian Gwendolyn Reese, a paid member of the Rays and Hines partnership,…” It’s not surprising, but it should be alarming, that Ms. Reese, a paid consultant to the Rays, is dictating public policy to an elected official. The time has come for City Councilmembers to represent their constituents and invest tax dollars in much needed infrastructure, not give aways to billionaires.
HAL FREEDMAN
March 24, 2025at1:42 pm
What makes Ms. Reese think the outcome would’ve been any different than when the first stadium was built? The deal was always terrible for the city and the community that was displaced in the past. Affordable housing units could’ve been converted to market rate housing for a very low buyout cost. Giving the Carter Woodson 25% of what it’s likely to cost to build the museum was a cruel joke. How would they raise the other $30 million?
Left out of the article was the fact that Ms. Reese was a paid consultant for the Rays. Loss of a paycheck may be part of the reason for her anger.
Arch Stanton
March 24, 2025at11:44 am
“She hopes her thoughts as a respected community leader“
“Respected community leader”???
This lady fell for the scam hook, line, and sinker. She’s either wildly naive or took some nice donations from the team. Only a sucker would try to honestly claim this deal was anything but a payoff for an untrustworthy billionaire.
She sold out any pretense of representing the community when she endorsed this ripoff.
Raymond Tampa
March 24, 2025at11:40 am
Mr. Delisle, as usual your comments are so on point. Please be reminded that the person you indicated great respect for, Gwen Reese, sold out our community for her personal gain. She falls clearly in that crew of Welch,Driscoll,Gabbard,Figgs Sanders and Gerdes.They ALL heard your comments about how bad the deal was for the city. Yet, they pushed on and on.
Mike
March 24, 2025at11:31 am
Alan i disagree. We americans get exactly the government we deserve.
Large segments of the population now believe several fallacies.
1. ‘Need’ equals ‘deserve’
2. Success is random
3. The only successful future involves winning a government housing lottery or otherwise being allocated someone elses money.
4. Black americans are wards of the state and not at all responsible for their situation.
Believe one, or all, of the above nonsense and this stadium debacle is the result.
How anyone anywhere can continue gifting these parasitic people mandates is completely baffling. Welch wont even fix the roads!
To say “we did not deserve this” is another whitewash. We are 100% culpable for allowing this.
Alan DeLisle
March 24, 2025at11:11 am
Great respect for Gwendolyn Reese but Welch and the sold-out five Council members gave the Rays way more than they should have. It was a terrible deal for the city and a great, ridiculous deal for the Rays. For whatever reason—- lack of money, greed, risk aversion, poor cost analysis, or the security of the status quo—-the Rays have proved one thing every time: they are the most unreliable partner you could ever imagine—-Tampa, Montreal, St Pete. It’s never good enough.
That is exactly why Mayor Kriseman framed the Trop redevelopment around the best interest of the city and if the Rays wanted in, on our terms, that was possible.
Too bad Welch, Gerdes, Gabbard, Figgs-Sanders, Driscoll and Montanari fell victim, got outsmarted and got taken for an ugly ride. St Pete did not deserve this mess.
Mike
March 24, 2025at10:14 am
Who else is to blame if not mayor welch? He tried and failed to hold our city hostage to service his minority special interest group. Hes a racist and he failed. Simple.