St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth T. Welch used his 2026 State of the City address to call for faster infrastructure upgrades, continued growth and forward movement on the Historic Gas Plant District.
“Storms do not define St. Petersburg,” Welch said. “How we recover defines who we are.”
After Hurricanes Helene and Milton damaged homes, small businesses and public facilities, Welch described 2025 as “a year of recovery.” He said the city accelerated repairs, strengthened stormwater systems and supported residents and small businesses rebuilding.
“We are not just recovering,” Welch said. “We are investing strategically and intentionally.”
Housing and workforce pipeline
Welch opened with housing, calling it foundational to family stability and the local economy.
The city completed 434 multifamily affordable workforce units in 2025, along with 122 accessory dwelling units and 24 affordable homes. Another 189 affordable townhomes are in development on city-owned land.
Welch said St. Petersburg became the first city in Florida to adopt a “Yes in God’s Backyard” provision that allows faith-based organizations to use underutilized land to expand affordable housing opportunities.
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He also highlighted workforce pipeline efforts through the Mayor’s Future Ready Academy, a job training program that provides full-time pay, benefits and hands-on training in city departments. Since spring 2024, 45 cadets have graduated and 28 now hold full-time city positions.
Welch also cited library and youth programs as part of the city’s education and workforce strategy. He pointed to the St. Pete Bookmobile, the reopening of the President Barack Obama Main Library, Camp Bullseye with the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and Camp Ignite through St. Pete Fire Rescue.
Crime falls, recovery funding expands
On neighborhood health and safety, Welch said total crime in St. Petersburg fell 16% in 2025.
The city recorded ten homicides. “The lowest number of homicides since I was three years old. Since 1967,” Welch said.
Welch cited pedestrian safety projects near the Innovation District, updates to the Neighborhood Traffic Calming program and new sidewalks, protected bike lanes and trail connections that earned St. Petersburg designation as a Trail Town by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
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He also detailed health and homelessness response programs. The city distributed more than 6,700 doses of Narcan and connected more than 4,000 people to care.
The city allocated $100,000 for Meals on Wheels and $1.5 million to agencies working to prevent homelessness and support families facing housing instability.
Rapid resolution funding directed more than $60,000 to 29 residents for urgent needs such as rent and utilities. Contributions totaling more than $1 million to the We Are St. Pete Fund helped more than 200 residents and 20 small businesses with hurricane recovery support.
Infrastructure spending accelerates
Welch said the 2024 hurricanes “provided a powerful lesson” on the need to build infrastructure that matches today’s flooding conditions, including higher storm surge, heavier rain events and increased tidal flooding.
He cited SPAR, the St. Pete Agile Resilience Plan, which he said is fast-tracking infrastructure projects and advancing more than $545 million in long-term budgeted investments.
The city completed 89 resilience and infrastructure projects totaling more than $47 million in improvements and came in $5.7 million under budget.
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Storm-related repairs advanced at Tropicana Field, Bear Creek, Lake Vista Recreation Center and multiple seawall projects.
The city elevated electrical equipment at water and wastewater facilities, installed flood barriers and advanced basin improvements, pump station upgrades, lake enhancements and backflow prevention installations.
Welch also announced Prepare St. Pete, an online mapping tool that consolidates flood zones, evacuation areas and preparedness information.
Permits and construction activity signal confidence
Developers continued filing permits at scale. The building department processed more than 54,000 permits tied to $1.4 billion in construction activity. More than 100,000 inspections supported projects citywide, including 27 new commercial buildings and 8,700 residential and commercial renovation projects.
After the 2024 storms, the city waived fees for post-disaster emergency permits. Officials issued more than 15,600 permits, providing more than $3 million in fee relief and supporting more than $315 million in storm-related construction.
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A new parking garage in the Edge District added 400 public parking spaces. The city also reached agreement to acquire a 1-mile CSX rail segment to extend the Booker Creek Trail north from the Historic Gas Plant site.
Small business support and transit expansion
The South St. Petersburg Credit Micro Fund supported 196 small businesses with education, mentoring and $1.4 million to implement growth plans without upfront capital.
Transit programs expanded. A city-supported mobility program has increased by 35% and now serves more than 1,400 residents per month. SunRunner added a 15-minute evening frequency on weekends.
Welch confirmed agreements for year-round premium ferry service between downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa beginning this year.
Inside City Hall, the city is implementing the Tyler Suite enterprise platform to replace decades-old systems in building and permitting departments.
$600 million bond heads to voters
Looking ahead, Welch said the city plans to put a $600 million general obligation bond referendum before voters focused on sewer upgrades, flooding solutions and neighborhood improvements.
“To meet that goal, we’re planning on asking the voters to approve a general obligation bond to fund approximately $600 million in sewer system upgrades, flooding solutions and other neighborhood improvement projects,” he said.
Welch said the bond would allow the city to accelerate sewer and stormwater projects without relying solely on water and sewer rate increases.
Welch also announced a $160 million partnership through federal Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery funding, branded Sunrise St. Pete. St. Petersburg was “one of only two Florida cities” to directly receive the funding, he said, and the city expects initial disbursement next month.
The program will include homeowner rehabilitation, reconstruction and elevation assistance, plus reimbursements tied to rent, mortgage and utility payments.
Gas Plant redevelopment moves into decision phase
Welch closed with his longest remarks on Tropicana Field and the Historic Gas Plant District, framing the redevelopment as both an economic engine and a test of whether the city will deliver on decades-old promises.
After Hurricane Milton damaged the stadium, the city repaired it.
“Today, the roof has been fully replaced,” Welch said. The playing surface is installed and interior work is underway, positioning the facility to reopen on schedule and under budget.
Welch then turned to the Gas Plant District.
“Let me speak plainly and directly to the community about moving forward on the historic gas plant district development,” he said.
“Now is not the time to halt the process.”
Welch cited planning efforts dating to 2016 and described the community’s priorities as the “J Hope principles,” defined as “jobs, housing, economic opportunity, and honoring the promises made to the community.”
“Developers are not defining the vision,” he said.
With the alternative proposal deadline passed, the city will continue evaluating submitted proposals.
Welch acknowledged City Council’s recent resolution calling for additional planning and said the city will address those concerns without “returning to paralysis.”
“We could easily spend years more debating where the puzzle pieces fit on these 86 acres and still have an asphalt desert, instead of any tangible progress,” he said. “I cannot support that path.”
“We’ve proven we can take on big, complex challenges successfully,” Welch said.
St. Petersburg, he added, is “strong,” and its future is “bright.”
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