Let the Market Lead St. Petersburg’s Gas Plant Development

Mayor Ken Welch recently wrote in the Tampa Bay Times that “a medium-sized (80,000 – 100,000 sf.) convention center has long been discussed,” and a current analysis is worth undertaking.  

Here’s My Take:  I think Mayor Welch is off the mark

The fact that something has been discussed doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good idea—or that the public should foot the bill to find out. Especially when these discussions have mostly taken place within government circles, with no meaningful engagement of private-sector developers or the public at large.

I’m not suggesting ideas shouldn’t be kicked around.  But it’s way too early in the redevelopment of the Gas Plant, and we don’t need to pay for a study.  The real world will tell us when the time comes.  

📉 About The 2016 Study

Mayor Welch points to a 2016 study that claimed St. Pete would benefit from a convention center. But we should ask: who commissioned it, who paid for it, and what assumptions did it use?

Too often, consultants paid by any city paint an overly optimistic picture. As Tampa Bay Times Columnist John Hill said, “Asking a convention consultant whether a convention center makes sense is like asking a Wall Street trader if he believes in capitalism.”

Let’s not repeat the same mistakes.

💡 Tourism Has Grown. But Let the Market Prove the Demand for a Conention Center- And Pay For It.

Mayor Welch notes that tourism has increased since 2016. That’s a good sign. But for a convention center:

The City of St. Pete should not be in the business of speculating about what will be the best real estate development opportunites. We already tried that with a baseball stadium. This time, let’s get it right.

Bureaucrats should not be risking public dollars on projects they don’t have the expertise to execute—and for which they have no skin in the game.

Before any studies – Let’s invite the market to speak. And let the community lead.