Comm Voice
We need more meeting space, but not a convention center

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Should the Tropicana Field site have a convention center instead of a baseball stadium?
That’s been the big topic of conversation around town since the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County announced they would pursue a feasibility study into the idea.
The bottom line is this: Our city could definitely use more conference and meeting spaces, but a full-blown convention center seems like an overreach.
As reported in a recent newspaper column, convention business is down nationwide as companies and organizations look to cut their travel costs.
That said, there isn’t a lot of event space around downtown for companies and industry organizations. With this in mind, a hotel (or hotels) with high-quality meeting facilities would be a welcome addition to our downtown.
Several hotels downtown offer meeting spaces that can accommodate groups ranging from 20 to 500 people. But we don’t have a newer facility that has a bit more capacity, along with the technological bells and whistles that many organizations look for.
This unmet need ties into the larger discussion of what the Tropicana Field site should become. Perhaps it’s time to stop looking for a big-ticket draw for the site. Instead, how about a well-planned, multi-faceted district that caters to all the needs of the community – from office space, hotel and meeting space for businesses, to a wide range of housing types, to locally-owned shops and restaurants that appeal to both locals and visitors.
This approach would create a district that boosts the economy for everyone in our community while supporting the goal of making St. Pete a magnet for both business and tourism.
Certainly, people from around the world love to visit St. Pete, which could make it appealing as a conference destination. That said, we don’t need to try to compete with the Tampa Convention Center, which has spaces that can hold thousands of attendees.
I think there are five keys to success for the Trop site:
- Don’t make the district generic.
The district needs to be distinctive, so you know you are in St. Pete, not in another city. This initiative should involve everything from thoughtful design to picking the right tenant mix. - Honor the history of the Historic Gas Plant District.
Scores of black-owned businesses and residents were displaced for the baseball stadium. Memorializing that past while offering opportunities for minority-owned businesses would help make the district distinctive. It’s also the right thing to do. - Remember you are in Florida as you design it.
Create shade. Plant trees. Install fans. Reduce the asphalt factor. This design will make the district more hospitable in the heat. - Work with transportation groups to ensure the location is accessible without a car.
The site is fortunate to have the Pinellas Trail running through it. Make it really easy to get there, and leverage PSTA’s SunRunner bus rapid transit service. - Give the community a voice.
It’s impossible to make everyone happy, but City leaders should commit to taking residents’ opinions seriously as they work through all of their options.
The Tropicana Field site is one of the most promising downtown redevelopment opportunities in the country. Let’s not waste this chance to do something distinctive.
Larry Silvestri is president of St. Petersburg-based Silvestri Law. The firm works in the real estate transactions sector, including commercial leases, title insurance and closings.

Elise Hazzard
July 16, 2025at5:50 am
Currently, the Tampa Convention center is underutilized and that facility, in the same metro market, should be maximized before pouring more concrete in SP. This valuable space needs a win-win. Another convention center is not a ‘highest and best use’ plan.
S. Rose Smith-Hayes
July 7, 2025at9:11 pm
Thank you. Make the existing stadium a multi use space for sports and entertainment, conventions and graduations. It can be done, there is enough space. Consider parking garages and a couple of hotels and businesses.
John Donovan
July 7, 2025at6:57 pm
Two hotels with a large (1500 person) meeting room (“convention center”) in between them (shared access) might work. The baseball stadium could be remodeled for $300mm-$500mm?? And be fantastic. We can have both/all.
RITA SEWELL
July 7, 2025at5:33 pm
So how about bringing Banana Ball to the Trop.
Mona Hawkins
July 7, 2025at5:28 pm
All good recommendations. I also agree that selling off parcels to individual developers will prevent the “generic” problem, and give the district a more authentic feel.
Ryan Todd
July 7, 2025at3:36 pm
Adopt a form-based code for the 86-acres and sell it off parcel by parcel. Master plans are a waste of time and money. Each developer can produce their own market study and develop a pro forma that works for them.