City of St. Petersburg Awarded 1.3 Million Dollars in Federal Funding to Reconnect South St. Pete to Downtown

City of St. Petersburg Awarded $1.3 Million in Federal Funding to Reconnect South St. Pete to Downtown

January 10, 2025 - Today, the City of St. Petersburg was awarded $1,387,038 from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the Reconnecting the Historic Gas Plant District Project. The project aims to remediate the impacts of the construction of I-175 in the late 1970s that uprooted many families of the historic African American neighborhoods, including the Gas Plant District by enhancing access, safety, and connectivity for South St. Petersburg.

"Reconnecting South St. Pete neighborhoods and businesses to the Downtown corridor is critical to addressing transportation projects that negatively impacted hundreds of families living in the Historic Gas Plant District and adjacent neighborhoods," said St. Pete Mayor Kenneth T. Welch. "I'm grateful to Congresswoman Castor and Senator Rubio for their support of St. Pete achieving progress in our Infrastructure, Equitable Development, and Neighborhood Health and Safety pillars - some of the highest priorities for my administration."

"South St. Pete deserves to enjoy economic opportunity and growth as we repair neighborhoods divided by highways decades ago," said U.S. Representative Kathy Castor. "The 'Reconnecting Communities' initiative aims to breathe new life into South St. Pete by reconnecting neighborhoods, growing small businesses and fostering a more vibrant and equitable community for all St. Pete residents. It's gratifying to see the historic federal Infrastructure Law delivering for the Tampa Bay area."

This project stems from the 2022 Downtown St. Petersburg Mobility Study conducted in partnership with Forward Pinellas. Grant funding will be used for the two-way conversion and lane reallocation of 8th Street and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street to improve access, safety, mobility, and connectivity as well as address the environmental and economic burdens impacting surrounding neighborhoods. The City of St. Petersburg is one of three municipalities in Florida to receive a Reconnecting Communities award during this funding cycle.

Reconnecting the Historic Gas Plant District Project activities include:

• Developing and implementing a meaningful community engagement plan that fosters community reconnection and rebuilds trust;

• Planning and preliminary engineering, including concept design, to incorporate improved pedestrian and bike facilities, along with opportunities for creative place-making and green infrastructure; and

• Conducting an equity assessment to evaluate how the two-way conversion and lane reallocation will address transportation-related disparities and ensure that the benefits of the project are equitably distributed across the community.

The Reconnecting the Historic Gas Plant District Project is a vital step toward overcoming historical barriers, improving transportation equity, and driving the redevelopment of South St. Petersburg through enhanced connectivity, safety, and community engagement. More about the Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment can be found at www.stpete.org/GasPlant.

For more information about the U.S. Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, visit https://www.transportation.gov/reconnecting.