Welch Picks The Burg Bid to Lead Tropicana Field Redevelopment

Overview

• Mayor Ken Welch announced Thursday that he intends to move forward with The Burg Bid, led by Blake Investment Partners, and that the Pinellas County Housing Authority will develop a Third Avenue South parcel for affordable senior housing.
• The Burg Bid proposal covers about 58 of the 86 acres and cites roughly $8 billion in investment and about 3,600 affordable and workforce units, though city reviewers said much of the housing is scheduled for later phases and flagged gaps in job and economic development details.
• Next steps include review by the Community Benefits Advisory Council, City Council vetting, term‑sheet negotiations and a final City Council contract vote, leaving the plan vulnerable to change if a new administration takes office.
• The selection overrides a recent City Council resolution urging a pause and has drawn sharp political pushback from council member and mayoral rival Brandi Gabbard and other critics who want more study of alternatives such as parcelization or city‑led leases.
• The site was once a predominantly Black neighborhood cleared for Tropicana Field, so the decision carries restitution and housing stakes for displaced families and raises questions about infrastructure funding, buildout timing and promised local jobs.