Mayor Welch Says Trop Redevelopment is Too Important to Waste Time Thinking About
With City Council voting to pause the developer selection process and much of St. Pete urging caution, Mayor Ken Welch reiterated that the future of the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant site must be decided before voters head to the polls this August.
Despite widespread calls to pump the brakes, Welch reportedly remains concerned that any further study, discussion, or public input could interfere with the timely delivery of luxury housing, commemorative branding, and several extremely emotional ribbon cuttings.
“We’ve already spent 10 years talking about this,” Welch said, glancing at his watch. “And frankly, even if we spend another 10 years discussing it, the outcome is going to be the same. We’re going to build luxury condos. So why drag it out? I’m not getting any younger.”
Welch said the project will honor the memory of the displaced Gas Plant community through several meaningful gestures, including a bronze plaque outside a proposed upscale dog spa and rooftop bar. Other features in the mixed-use development include a culturally sensitive yoga studio and luxury residential towers with names carefully chosen to evoke the memory of people who will never be allowed to live there.
Promisingly, the mayor also stressed that the redevelopment will include affordable workforce housing, with current plans calling for as many as four units at just $5,000 a month. City leaders confirmed the four affordable units will cost approximately $67 million to develop.
While skeptics have questioned the mayor’s eagerness to rush one of the city’s most valuable public assets into the hands of developers, Welch dismissed those concerns as outdated. “People keep saying ‘plan first,’” he said. “But if we plan first, how am I supposed to get funding for my campaign?”
Many residents are puzzled that even the usually pro-development City Council has suggested this might be a rare project worth studying before rushing to break ground. At one point during a recent meeting, witnesses say the discussion briefly stalled when Welch reportedly stood up and shouted “YOLO!” before again urging the council to approve the project.
Area real estate interests, however, remain optimistic.
“This is really about healing,” said one mustachioed luxury broker, visibly trembling with excitement. “Healing, opportunity, legacy, and of course preserving the story of the displaced families through premium finishes, valet access, and a thoughtfully curated retail corridor. Personally, I get emotional every time I think about what these people sacrificed so we can enjoy craft cocktails 43 stories above where their homes used to be.”
The broker added that while some residents are still upset about the Rays leaving, the city should focus on the brighter future ahead. “Look, between you and me, we wanted this to happen. I can’t profit off baseball,” he said. “If this deal goes through, my kids’ kids are getting Bugattis.”
City officials also confirmed the redevelopment will likely extend beyond the Trop site itself to include the I-175 corridor, as St. Petersburg continues its long-term vision of replacing everything from 16th Street to 4th Street with a seamless ribbon of mixed-use prosperity, commemorative hardscaping, and tastefully meaningless public art.
To help preserve local culture, officials say The Vitale Brothers will be commissioned to create murals acknowledging the tragedy of the Gas Plant community’s displacement while drawing tasteful inspiration from religious technology and other themes preferred by major donors.
Environmental concerns were also dismissed.
“We are absolutely committed to resilience,” Welch said. “And if necessary, we’ll simply dump the sewage in the bay like responsible adults until the infrastructure catches up.”
At press time, Welch said the project must be finalized before the election so that, in the event he loses, he can still receive full historical credit, ceremonial gratitude, and bonuses.
