From the Mayor’s desk: “We Are St. Pete” has embodied Welch’s first 18 months

The below article was written by St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, and originally appeared on The Weekly Challenger

“We Are St. Pete” has become our mantra at the city. We speak it. We wear it. We live it. The “we” stands for all of us, our collective communities and our individual neighborhoods.

As we complete our first 18 months in office, I’d like to share some of our accomplishments, specifically related to our focus on Inclusive Progress for all of St. Petersburg, especially the African-American community. That focus has been and will continue to be a priority to me as mayor. 

Historic Gas Plant District

The Historic Gas Plant District, home to Tropicana Field, will be the source of thousands of jobs and economic development opportunities for the next two decades. As a child of the Gas Plant, I remember the community that was and understand the sense of community and the economic base that was sacrificed in the pursuit of economic development.

History matters, so I renamed this redevelopment, which was previously referred to as the “Tropicana Field” project, to honor the history and the original name of the district — the Historic Gas Plant District. Our team identified a clear set of priorities, from affordable housing to funding for minority business creation and expansion and minority participation in the multi-year construction effort.

I also required a substantial and sustainable financial package of community benefits that would fulfill the promises of shared economic benefit to the Black community. My team and I are working with our county partners and the Hines-Rays team to bring our negotiations to a successful conclusion.

I am confident that this is a path that honors the history and sacrifice of the Gas Plant community that will drive the restoration of the economic vitality and entrepreneurial opportunities that existed in the Gas Plant District. This will be the most impactful economic development project for the next 20 years, and we have made equitable and inclusive economic development a cornerstone of this effort. 

Equity and opportunity

My administration remains committed to Equity, even in the era of the state’s anti-woke act and the devaluing of Black history. Strategically, we have based our equity efforts on indisputable data, facts, and history. The city’s 2021 Structural Racism study documents the history of bias and segregation in our community.

To that end, I have created a chief equity officer position — a cabinet-level position that will lead our efforts for equitable opportunity across all departments of the city. To date, we have received 73 applications for the position, and I look forward to bringing our chief equity officer on board. This will be the first chief equity officer in the city’s history and the first of its kind among large cities in Florida.

In a similar vein, facts and data from the city’s Disparity Study (presented in April 2021) clearly show an underutilization of minority- and women-owned businesses in city business activities.

To address the inequity, I have created an office of supplier diversity, and we’ve begun the process of implementing a Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) program, which will focus on creating economic opportunity for minority businesses by building capacity, reducing barriers and engaging the MWBE business community.

Housing and neighborhoods

Housing continues to be a priority — housing that is affordable to our family and friends making average salaries, as well as lower-income families. We’ve increased the number of units in the city’s 10-year Housing Opportunities for All plan by 1,000 units, and we’ve dedicated new local and federal funding to help meet the urgent need.

For example, we’ve partnered with Habitat for Humanity to develop 56 affordable townhomes that provide homeownership and wealth-building opportunities to residents earning 80 percent area median income (AMI).

Other affordable housing initiatives include 65 units for working families at the Delmar 745 Apartments (completed in March 2022), 11 units at the Sixteenth Square Townhomes, 75 units at Burlington Post and 85 units for senior households at Bear Creek Commons (construction began in June 2023).

We also partnered with Pinellas County and the Federal Government on Rental Assistance to distribute $2.6 million in assistance to 435 families so they could stay in their homes.

Utilizing Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) and other city funds, the city has invested $35 million to leverage another $216 million for the construction of 697 units of affordable housing — affordable to workers earning up to 80 percent AMI. 

For the first time in many years, we are renewing the city’s focus on Neighborhood Plans. Working with neighborhood leaders, our team has completed the Campbell Park plan, and we are embarking on 13th Street Heights, Melrose Mercy and St. Pete Heights neighborhood plans, using a people-first approach rather than a traditional place-based only approach. 

Business and community support

To support small businesses in south St. Pete, our team created a $1.3 million CRA Microfund to provide access to capital without a match requirement. Fifty-six small businesses were recently selected for the first cohort.

Mental health continues to impact the Black community disproportionately. To that end, we are creating Social Service Hubs, funded by federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, which will bring critical wraparound and mental health services to areas in high need.

I also believe that south St. Pete needs a modern community space to support services and enhance youth, education and business opportunities — a place not driven by profit, but by opportunity. These Opportunity and Innovation Centers will be modern hubs for community education, nutrition, support, senior programs, digital access and other services.

I believe the first center should be located at a reimagined Enoch Davis Center. Through our partnership with the federal government and former Congressman Charlie Crist, we’ve received a $901,000 Community Project Funding allocation from the federal government for this initiative and other community center upgrades.

This year, Congresswoman Kathy Castor also submitted Community Funding Project requests for Enoch Davis Center planning and construction ($1.5 million) and Sankofa Affordable Housing funding ($4 million).

Youth and education

Preparing our youth for success is key to the future of our community. The persistent academic gap between Black and white students must be addressed in a holistic way, from nutrition to transportation, digital access and neighborhood health and safety, especially mental health.

To that end, we are reassessing the role that the city can play in supporting our students and families, bridging gaps, and partnering with the local education partners including early childhood, K-12, and post-secondary (St. Petersburg College and USF St. Petersburg).

We will also actively support local organizations that are having an impact with innovative programs designed to reach our students where they are. The Barbershop Book Club is an example of an existing local program that we will fund to expand their impactful work. This year, we plan to fund the Phyllis Wheatley Rise to Read program with $95,000. My recommended budget will include $500,000 of new youth and education funding for the 2023-24 budget, which begins on Oct. 1.

We are also focusing on exploring youth employment and internship opportunities to engage young people in a workplace environment early on, provide income, and share practical work experience and a pathway to good-paying careers with benefits working for the City of St. Petersburg.

We will continue to refine our South St. Pete CRA focus to emphasize poverty reduction and wealth building. From housing to job training, education, and housing preservation, the CRA has become a vital resource, generating $12 million for these initiatives this year.

Inclusive governance

Throughout my public service, including 23 years in elected office, I’ve focused on being in touch with the community. The person in the grocery store, church, or park is just as important as a political “insider.”

So, as mayor, we go where the people are. Our St. Pete team hosted well over 1,000 citizens in our “Community Conversations” held throughout the city on issues like the Historic Gas Plant and the Manhattan Casino.

We’ve held two “City Hall on Tour” events, with two more planned. These are evening events held in the city’s community centers and staffed by more than two dozen city departments, administrators, council members and me. We have regular discussions with neighborhood association presidents and meet with constituents often, based on a protocol that considers community safety, budget timing, and community impact.

We are purposeful about establishing meeting agendas when engaging with members of the community. Given my role as mayor, my schedule only allows for a few informal, open-ended meetings. If an issue has already been vetted or decided, it is most efficient for one of my administrators or chief of staff to address and resolve the issue. Our focus on community engagement is strategic and intentional and will remain a priority.

Going forward

We have much work ahead, and I’m looking forward to continuing to listen, build consensus, and, when necessary, make the tough decisions. My focus is not to maintain the status quo, appease the loudest voices or ponder the next election.

My focus is progress for our city and, within that, a focus on the African-American community. It is essential to understand that some programs may be modified or sunsetted, and those with different views and priorities will not embrace some of my decisions. That is what impactful change requires, and that is fine.

These decisions come with the responsibilities of the mayor’s office — it is what I anticipated when I ran for mayor, and I will not be deterred from doing what I believe is right for our community for the long term. Inclusive progress on economic opportunity, housing, youth and education, healthy and safe neighborhoods and other important areas is my administration’s focus and will remain so.

Thank you for your partnership. We Are St. Pete.