St. Petersburg City Council

Two cities could find themselves in a legal battle that could take years and tens of millions of dollars. We take a look at one city that did — and what others could learn from it.

Said St. Petersburg City Council chair Copley Gerdes: “We’ve got a responsibility to move both intentionally and quickly.”

Council member Brandi Gabbard believes the Urban Land Institute (ULI) can provide that “guiding document” for city officials.

The vote was delayed following an exchange between Mayor Ken Welch and city council member Brandi Gabbard.

The ferry between St. Petersburg and Tampa shut down in April after the previous operator wanted to replace its boat with a slower, more expensive one.

Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley said officials now expect to receive disaster recovery funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) “sooner than we had anticipated.”

The city and businesses have benefitted from the regular influx of baseball fans since the Rays began play in 1998, Lawmakers say plans to replace that revenue require immediate attention.

The city must fix the stadium under its 30-year contract with the Rays that runs through 2028. Council members voiced concerns about the price spikes, with the cost reaching just under$60 million.

Utility bills will increase an average of around 9% in fiscal year 2026, which begins Oct. 1. Officials recommend a 17.5% increase on stormwater rates.

The city council agreed to extend contracts with security, design and disaster recovery companies. The city’s engineering director said the project will not exceed the $55 million projection.

The proposed Center for The Arts could include a new professional music venue, space for businesses and renovations to the Mahaffey Theater and the Dali Museum.

The replacement roof panels should be installed by December, leaving the Rays a couple of months to finish up interior stadium repairs.