Thrive
Downtown Achievement Awards celebrate St. Pete community
“I think it’s really important to recognize the people who have made this place so special.”
The St. Petersburg community was celebrated Wednesday evening on the rooftop of the Cordova Inn’s new addition.
Members of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership came together for the Downtown Achievement Awards. The nonprofit organization focuses on the city’s growth and urban redevelopment.
Four individuals and organizations were recognized: Florida senator Darryl Rouson, the Cordova Inn, Place Architecture principal Tim Clemmons and Vector Commercial Real Estate founder Ken Heretick.
“I think it’s really important to recognize the people who have made this place so special,” St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership CEO Jason Mathis told the Catalyst. “So often people arrive here and they see this dynamic urban center, and this culture of acceptance and warmth, and they think it just magically happened.”
“It didn’t,” he continued, “It came about because people made personal sacrifices, they took risks and did things that seemed challenging or even impossible at the time.”
Rouson, who represents Florida’s District 16, sponsored a $800,000 Williams Park capital improvement Local Funding Initiative Request in 2025.
The project will enhance security lighting and electrical infrastructure to “improve visibility and highlight entrances,” according to the Florida Senate’s website. Additionally, sidewalks will be repaired and security cameras and fences will be added around the perimeter. An open-air ice skating rink is planned for the park as well.
Rouson’s work in the legislature has focused on topics such as substance abuse, arts education and family wellness. In June 2025, University of South Florida leaders announced that they will name a mental health research center after him.
In 1981, Rouson became the first African American assistant state attorney in Pinellas County. From 2000 to 2005, he served as the president of the St. Petersburg National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) branch.
“St. Pete is not just a part of Darryl’s district, this is home,” said Angela Rouson, Rouson’s wife, at the Wednesday event. “It is wonderful to be recognized by an organization such as yours that has the city’s soul in mind.”
The Cordova Inn, which opened in 1921, is one of the oldest hotels in St. Petersburg. Owner New Hotel Collection decided to expand the asset and construct a new five-story building adjacent to the original property.
The inn now has an additional 65 rooms. It began to welcome guests in April. St. Petersburg-based Place Architecture designed the expansion.
Mathis explained the Cordova Inn project was “really unusual,” particularly because New Hotel Collection leadership decided to connect the historical building with the new addition. “Any time we can do something that honors our history and past along with the growth of our future is a really special opportunity,” he said.
Tim Clemmons has over 30 years of architectural experience. St. Petersburg projects Clemmons and the Place Architecture team have worked on include Bliss Condominiums, the Campbell Landings apartment community, the Nolen condominiums and Grand Central Brewhouse. They also helped design the Armature Works mixed-use development in Tampa.
Clemmons has taught master’s level architecture and urban design classes for a decade at the University of South Florida as an adjunct professor. Additionally, he has served on the City of St. Petersburg’s Development Review Commission.
Ken Heretick founded the St. Petersburg-based Vector Commercial Real Estate in 1985. He began his real estate career in 1978 in downtown St. Petersburg. Heretick served on the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership board for over 40 years and held positions including chairman.
“In 2008, the real estate market fell off a cliff and that’s when you find out about somebody’s true character,” said Vector Commercial Real Estate broker Blakemore Kearney at the gathering. “I watched Ken continue to fund projects with partners simply because that’s what he said he would do. I watched him pay salaries out of his own pocket, for what amounted to years, before the market finally improved.”
