Proposed museum expansion takes a step forward

The long-discussed expansion of the Dali Museum came one step closer to reality Thursday, as the St. Petersburg City Council voted unanimously to amend the City’s 99-year lease with the bayfront art museum, one of the top tourist draws in St. Petersburg, on first reading.

This was necessary because a referendum called by City ordinance 512-H, authorized and approved in November, 2022, was set to expire Dec. 31 of this year. Failure to amend the lease could have resulted in the loss of $25 million in County bed tax money already earmarked for the expansion.

The delay, Managing Director of Development Chris Ballestra explained, was caused – primarily – by lengthy (and productive) discussions with the Mahaffey Theater, another city-owned facility that sits to the immediate north of the museum, and with representatives of the annual Firestone Grand Prix auto race, which takes place on the streets around both buildings.

Some of the language in the contract dealt with earlier, and no longer applicable, elements of potential construction. This was deleted.

The proposed expansion would put an elevated museum addition on Lot 6, which is identified as a City right-of-way that provides public access to the Mahaffey Theater parking garage. Current plans for the proposal include areas for education, conferences, events, galleries and a restaurant and terrace overlooking the downtown yacht basin.

The amended contract includes revised provisions regarding coordination with the Mahaffey Theater and Firestone Grand Prix including access, operations and recovery from material adverse impacts during construction. Ballestra called it a “beneficial change” that’s still in the design process.

In 2019, the museum revealed ambitious expansion plans, including 30,000 square feet of new programing space and a 270-space parking garage. After substantial increases in construction costs, due to the pandemic, the plan was revised to a more modest addition.

There will be a second reading, and a public hearing, at Council’s Dec. 12 meeting.