T
he Tampa Bay Rays announced Thursday they won't pursue a new stadium in St. Petersburg, potentially derailing the city's ambitious redevelopment plans for the Gas Plant District. The 86-acre site was set to be transformed into a vibrant neighborhood with shopping, housing, offices, entertainment, and green space. However, without the stadium deal, momentum behind other projects in the area may slow.

    St. Petersburg still has strong fundamentals, including walkability and a dense urban core, according to Casey Ellison of Ellison Development Group. His company is building The Central, a mixed-use project near Tropicana Field, which won't be affected by the Rays' decision. Jason Mathis of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership believes the Gas Plant District will still be revitalized, possibly with a convention center or corporate headquarters.

    Mayor Ken Welch said the city will move forward with redevelopment plans in phases, but the timeline is uncertain. Developer Hines may need to reapply for its bid without the Rays' involvement. Mack Feldman of Feldman Equities remains hopeful a stadium will still be built in St. Petersburg one day.

    Thompson Whitney Blake of Blake Investment Partners has offered to buy the Gas Plant District site for $260 million, proposing to act as a master-plan developer and split the land into multiple parcels. Bowen Arnold of DDA Development sees this as another setback in a long series of delays, but believes it won't deter people's enthusiasm for St. Petersburg.