Blake Investment Partners is formalizing the office component of its redevelopment pitch for the Tropicana Field site and defining a commercial strategy for the Historic Gas Plant District.
The move marks a shift from concept to execution as the city reviews competing proposals for the site.
The firm said it has partnered with Stadler Development, a St. Petersburg-based real estate company, to lead office planning as part of its broader Gas Plant proposal now under review by the city.
Under the proposal, Stadler will serve as the project’s “Office Czar,” a role intended to centralize responsibility for delivering new Class A office space.
That responsibility would apply in a downtown market that has not seen ground-up office construction in decades.
Office joins housing as a core redevelopment pillar
Blake Investment Partners has framed its Gas Plant bid around execution rather than concept.
Earlier elements of its St. Petersburg 3.0 proposal centered on affordable and workforce housing delivery both within the Gas Plant District and through additional projects citywide.
That housing strategy is backed by Blue Sky Communities, a Florida-based affordable housing developer with decades of experience delivering income-restricted units in St. Petersburg.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Blake Investment Partners pledges affordable housing at Gas Plant
The office strategy is being positioned as a parallel pillar within Blake’s redevelopment philosophy, one focused on permanent employment, business growth and sustained economic activity.
Together, housing and office development form the backbone of how Blake says the district can function beyond construction.
Institutional backing reinforces delivery focus
The Stadler partnership follows recent institutional support from Greystar Real Estate Partners, which endorsed Blake’s Gas Plant proposal earlier this month.
Greystar’s backing added scale to a bid already defined by competing visions and public scrutiny.
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The firm is currently partnered with Blake on The Henry at Whitney Village, a mixed-use redevelopment of part of the Jim & Heather Gills YMCA campus that the developers say remains on schedule and on budget.
Blake has cited that project as a built example of delivery capacity as city officials weigh how redevelopment commitments translate into outcomes.
Tying economic development to the site’s history
Blake Investment Partners acknowledged the Historic Gas Plant District’s cultural and economic significance to St. Petersburg’s Black community.
The site once supported Black-owned businesses, professional offices and generational wealth before being cleared during urban renewal.
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The firm said its approach is guided by what it calls “hands-on history,” a framework it describes as influencing how development decisions are structured rather than how they are branded.
Office development, the firm said, is intended to help restore economic opportunity to a site that historically functioned as a commercial center.
Stadler’s role in shaping the office vision
Stadler Development brings local experience in large-scale residential projects and institutional office development, according to the release.
In St. Petersburg, the firm’s portfolio includes The Hermitage, The Icon, Modera Prime and Gallery Haus.
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Its office work includes projects such as The Alhambra and Columbus Center in Coral Gables, which serve as headquarters locations for major companies.
Blake Investment Partners said Stadler’s background in managing complex urban projects aligns with the scale and visibility of the Gas Plant District.
What the office plan includes
The proposal calls for a purpose-built corporate headquarters designed to attract anchor tenants and high-wage employment.
It also includes speculative Class A office space intended to give St. Petersburg flexibility as regional and national firms evaluate Tampa Bay locations.
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The firm cited Stadler’s involvement in The Pelican, a 21-story Class A office tower approved in downtown St. Petersburg, as an example of its experience managing high-density office projects.
“We are approaching this opportunity with a responsibility to build a more equitable future,” said Caryn Nesmith, a Blake Investment Partners spokesperson. “Partnering with Stadler Development strengthens the vision of supporting thriving businesses and quality jobs in the Historic Gas Plant while paying respect to the community that once called this site home.”
A broader team focused on delivery
Blake Investment Partners said the office strategy complements a development team that includes Greystar, Gilbane Building Company, MODO, Stantec, Langan Engineering and Wade Trim.
The firm said its partnerships are intended to combine national development capacity with local execution and long-term accountability.
As St. Petersburg evaluates competing proposals for the 95.5-acre Gas Plant site, the discussion has increasingly centered on how plans are delivered rather than how they are framed.
Housing commitments have become one measure of credibility.
Office delivery may now serve as another.
Together, the two will help determine whether the Gas Plant District emerges as a long-term employment center or remains defined by shorter-term uses.
